Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC television screens for its 2026 series with a brand-new hosting lineup of Emma Willis and Josh Widdicombe alongside professional dancer Johannes Radebe, according to initial reports released by the BBC. The BBC confirmed that the upcoming series, slated to launch on September 19, introduces a three-host format following the departure of long-standing presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman at the end of the previous year’s run.
New Hosts and Dynamic Launch Show Pairings
According to BBC announcements, the 2026 launch show features a significant format shift regarding how celebrity contestants are paired with professional dancers. Rather than discovering their partners in pre-filmed clips, the 15 participating celebrities find out their professional pairings live in front of the studio audience through three specially-choreographed group dance routines. The BBC trailer, released on Saturday, showcases Willis and Widdicombe making their dancing debuts alongside Radebe, emerging from a golden trailer alongside judges Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, Craig Revel Horwood, and Anton Du Beke.
Confirmed Celebrity and Professional Pairings
The BBC confirmed the full list of celebrity contestants and professional dancer partnerships for the 2026 series:
- Actress Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola (according to BBC reporting)
- Reality TV star Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin (according to BBC reporting)
- Hair stylist Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden (according to BBC reporting)
- Australian singer and actress Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington (according to BBC reporting)
- DJ and social media personality Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby (according to BBC reporting)
- TV and radio presenter Will Best and Dianne Buswell (according to BBC reporting)
- Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon (according to BBC reporting)
- Actress Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu (according to BBC reporting)
- TV and stage actress Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu (according to BBC reporting)
- Former England footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr (according to BBC reporting)
- Presenter and author Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley (according to BBC reporting)
- Actor Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał (according to BBC reporting)
- Skeleton athlete Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita (according to BBC reporting)
- YouTuber John Nellis and Katya Jones (according to BBC reporting)
- TV and stage actress Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec (according to BBC reporting)
Among the pairings, reality television personality Dani Dyer returns to compete for a second time after withdrawing from a previous series due to a fractured ankle, according to BBC coverage. Additionally, actress Bethany Antonia and professional dancer Nancy Xu form the show’s third two-woman couple, with Antonia noting to the BBC that watching boxer Nicola Adams and Katya Jones perform together in 2020 served as a significant part of her coming out journey. Reigning Strictly champion and former Lioness Karen Carney also returns to the floor alongside Carlos Gu to perform her series-winning Jive.
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