The full roster of contestants for Strictly Come Dancing 2026 has been unveiled – which stars are you eager to see perform?
BBC’s beloved ballroom series is back in September with 15 well-known personalities ready to dance.
Significant alterations await viewers this year, as long-serving presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman departed the programme, making way for Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe.
Several professional dancers have also exited the series and will not feature this year.
Here is the complete lineup of celebrities confirmed for Strictly 2026 so far:
Lacey Turner – EastEnders’ Stacey Slater
Dani Dyer – Television personality (returning after injury in 2025)
Delta Goodrem – Singer
Chris Appleton – Hair stylist
Cach Mercer – Reality television star
Will Best – Television and radio presenter
Dame Sarah Storey – Britain’s most accomplished Paralympian
Jaime Winstone – Actress
Bethany Antonia – Actress
Shaun Wright-Phillips – Former professional footballer
Graeme Hall – Notorious dog behaviour specialist
Lawrence Robb – Emmerdale’s Mackenzie Boyd
Tabby Stoecker – Team GB skeleton athlete
John Nellis – Football content creator
Melanie Walters – Gavin and Stacey star
The BBC began announcing the celebrities taking part on June 10, with soap star Lacey Turner revealed first.
All four judges – Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Head Judge Shirley Ballas – will each be returning.
The complete list of 15 dancers returning from the 2025 series is:
Alexis Warr
Amy Dowden
Aljaz Skorjanec
Carlos Gu
Dianne Buswell
Johannes Radebe
Jowita Przystal
Julian Caillon
Kai Widdrington
Katya Jones
Lauren Oakley
Nancy Xu
Neil Jones
Nikita Kuzmin
Vito Coppola
It was subsequently confirmed that Johannes would not be partnered with a celebrity this series, joining the presenting lineup instead.
Nevertheless, he did state he would still be dancing, with potential involvement in the professional dancer group performances.
During an appearance on Willis’s BBC Radio 2 programme, Radebe stated he was not retiring from dancing just yet. He emphasized he would certainly be showing off some moves and grooving. He noted dancing was his life and having it completely taken away would be devastating for him personally. He stressed nothing was lost and a plan was in motion. While he acknowledged the dancefloor was no longer his designated space, he promised viewers would still see him perform.
Meanwhile, five professionals have departed Strictly:
Gorka Marquez
Michelle Tsiakkas
Karen Hauer
Nadiya Bychkova
Luba Mushtuk
New dancers Aleksandra Isaeva, Cristian Priori, Lethabo Monametsi, Maddie Ingoldsby, and Mark Karmalita join the professionals.
An exact date for the new series of Strictly has not yet been confirmed by the BBC.
Nevertheless, further information about Strictly Come Dancing 2026 will be released throughout the summer, with the new series commencing in September.
Will you be watching the new series of Strictly Come Dancing? Share your thoughts in the comments.