The first live show of Strictly Come Dancing finally kicked off on Saturday night, with new hosts Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe at the helm.
The trio have received mixed reaction since they took over from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who departed the BBC show at the end of the 2025 series.
Emma began the show by joking she was feeling ‘nervous’ after Johannes said ‘anything can happen’ on the live show, before introducing the judges and contestants to the stage.
It was then revealed that the new format would see Emma and Josh present from the dancefloor as Tess did previously, while Johannes interviewed the stars from the auditorium like Claudia.
However, the decision didn’t go down well with viewers, who remarked that Josh looked like a ‘spare part’ next to seasoned professional Emma.
Josh did, however, earn some praise for making a ‘change partners’ joke, in a playful throwback to the new musical chairs-style format used to announce the pairs in the launch show.
As Josh stood on the dancefloor looking bemused the likes of Emma, Johannes and judge Craig Revel Horwood appearing alongside him, while Josh wailed ‘change partners’, leaving viewers in hysterics.
The first live show of Strictly Come Dancing finally kicked off on Saturday night, with new hosts Josh Widdicombe, Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe at the helm
However, it didn’t go down well with viewers, who remarked that Josh looked like a ‘spare part’ next to seasoned professional Emma
No one will be leaving the show this week, with the scores from week one combined with next week’s before the first elimination next Sunday.
Up first to perform was Big Brother presenter Will Best, 41, who performed the Samba to Rock DJ by Robbie Williams with his partner Dianne Buswell.
While there was rapturous applause from the audience, Craig Revel Horwood was quick to point out Will’s ‘sloppy’ arms, and awarded him four points, the same as Shirley Ballas.
Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke awarded Will scores of five, giving him a total score of 18.
Then it was time for British skeleton racer Tabby Stoecker, 25, to jive to Animal by KATSEYE with new pro Mark Karmalita.
She particularly impressed Anton, who said it was like seeing last year’s winner Karen Carney back on the dancefloor. He awarded her a score of seven. In turn, Motsi gave six, and Shirley five for a very respectable first week score of 22.
Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey, 48, was paired with Julian Caillon and they took on the Quickstep to C’est Magnifique by Kay Starr.
After a few mistakes in her routine, Dame Storey was awarded a three by Craig and fours by the remaining judges, giving her a final score of 15.
Emmerdale’s Lawrence Robb, 34, and Jowita Przystał performed the Paso Doble to Aperture by Harry Styles, earning him a four from Craig, fives from Motsi and Shirley and a six from Anton, totalling 20.
Former footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips, 44, stepped up to perform the Cha Cha to Lil Boo Thang by Paul Russell, with his partner Alexis Warr.
He failed to impress, earning a two from Craig, fours from Motsi and Shirley and five from Anton for 15 overall.
House Of The Dragon actress and West End star Bethany Antonia, 28, performed a Quickstep to Stop This Flame by Celeste.
She was paired with Nancy Xu, having requested a female dance partner after Nicola Adams and Katya Jones’s coupling in 2020 helped with her coming out journey.
The move paid off, with the pair’s dance branded the best of the night so far and earning them a score of 26 – consisting of sixes from from Craig and Shirley and sevens from Anton and Motsi.
However, they didn’t stay top of the leaderboard for long.
Josh did, however, earn some praise for making a ‘change partners’ joke, with the likes of Emma, Johannes and judge Craig Revel Horwood appearing alongside him
The skit was a playful throwback to the new musical chairs-style format used to announce the dancing pairs in the launch show
Up first was Big Brother presenter Will Best, 41, who performed the Samba to Rock DJ by Robbie Williams with his partner Dianne Buswell
Then it was time for British skeleton racer Tabby Stoecker, 25, to jive to Animal by KATSEYE with new pro Mark Karmalita
Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey, 48, was paired with Julian Caillon and they took on the Quickstep to C’est Magnifique by Kay Starr
EastEnders actress Lacey Turner, 38, performed a Cha Cha to How Will I Know by Whitney Houston alongside fan favourite Vito Coppola, earning a standing ovation from Shirley.
The routine earned them 27 – with sevens from Craig, Shirley and Anton and six from Motsi.
Celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton, 43, teamed up with show veteran and fan favourite Amy Dowden to Tango to No Roots by Alice Merton.
They scored 16 – made up of three from Craig, four from Motsi and Shirley and five from Anton.
The oldest celebrity in the new series, Gavin & Stacey star Melanie Walters, 64, took on the Cha Cha to Don’t Go Breaking My Heart by Elton John and Kiki Dee.
Paired with long-time pro Aljaž Škorjanec, she scored a total of 15 – including two from Craig, fours from Motsi and Shirley and five from Anton.
Love Island star Cach Mercer, 25, performed a Quickstep to I Just Might by Bruno Mars with new pro dancer Maddie Ingoldsby.
During last week’s partner pair up, it was revealed Dani Dyer, 30, reunited with her dance partner Nikita Kuzmin, 28, whom she was paired with last year before an ankle injury forced her to withdraw early.
The pair’s first dance is a Samba to Lush Life by Zara Larsson.
Australian singer and actress Delta Goodrem, 41, was paired with Kai Widdrington – with pair set to strut their stuff to the Samba to Baianá by Barbatuques.
While dog trainer Graeme Hall, 59, is set to Cha Cha to Hound Dog (Smokey Joe’s Café version) with his partner Lauren Oakley.
Actress Jaime Winstone, 41, will perform the Tango to I Feel Love by Donna Summer with her partner Carlos Gu, who will be hoping to replicate his 2025 win with Karen Carney.
Sports Youtuber John Nellis, 33, was teamed with the show’s longest-serving professional Katya Jones. They will perform a Foxtrot to Ordinary by Alex Warren.
Emmerdale’s Lawrence Robb, 34, and Jowita Przystał performed the Paso Doble to Aperture by Harry Styles, earning him a total of 20
Former footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips, 44, stepped up to perform the Cha Cha to Lil Boo Thang by Paul Russell, with his partner Alexis Warr
House Of The Dragon actress and West End star Bethany Antonia, 28, performed a Quickstep to Stop This Flame by Celeste, with partner Nancy Xu
EastEnders actress Lacey Turner, 38, performed a Cha Cha to How Will I Know by Whitney Houston alongside fan favourite Vito Coppola, earning a standing ovation from Shirley
Celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton, 43, teamed up with show veteran and fan favourite Amy Dowden to Tango to No Roots by Alice Merton
Yet viewers remained unconvinced by the contestants, after the lineup was previously branded ‘the worst ever’.
The celeb lineup was announced on social media this year rather than on radio and TV, but many followers had never heard of the names.
John, for example, a ‘sports content creator’, doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page.
But that doesn’t seem to matter to producers, who are said to have specifically selected stars who have large social media followings, rather than being known to the average Joe.
In recent years, BBC bosses have started to introduce content creators, reality stars and online influencers to the lineup in a bid to attract Gen Z viewers.
It’s a move that paid off, with YouTuber Joe Sugg, Made In Chelsea’s Jamie Laing and Love Island’s Tasha Ghouri for example, all proving popular with fans and reaching the final.
Yet this year, that idea was put into overdrive, with an insider claiming the series has actively targeted stars with a big social presence to attract younger viewers.
Stars such as Kim Kardashian’s hair stylist Chris might not be a household name, but he does boast a huge social media following with 4million fans on Instagram.
Sports YouTuber John has an even bigger fanbase, with 15.7million YouTube subscribers.
However, loyal fans were left scratching their heads over the lineup, with many of the comments on the Strictly social posts asking who the celebrity is, rather than expressing any excitement.
Indeed, while bosses may be keen to attract Gen Z – the majority of Strictly viewers are in fact Gen X and Baby Boomers.
Audience demographic data indicates that around 60 per cent of the audience is aged 55 or older, putting the average viewer age firmly in the mid-50s and above.
Yet this year, it’s been suggested Strictly is following a similar, hugely successful social media strategy employed by its US counterpart Dancing With The Stars.
STRICTLY COME DANCING 2026: MEET THE CONTESTANTS
LACEY TURNER
AGE: 38
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Playing Stacey Slater on BBC’s EastEnders
WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I’m so excited and terrified at the same time but I’ve had so many friends do Strictly and I thought it was about time that I plunked up the courage and made my way onto that dance floor.’
DELTA GOODREM
AGE: 41
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Played Nina Tucker in Neighbours and has released eight music albums
WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I’ve been incredibly honoured to perform on many different stages throughout my career – from tv, theatre, film sets, to touring my own shows around the world, there is however one stage I’ve never stepped onto and that is the ballroom floor!’
CACH MERCER
AGE: 25
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Won Love Island 2025 and is a TikTok influencer
WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I have grown up watching the show with my family and am so excited to now be part of the cast. Dancing is a huge passion of mine and I can’t wait to learn Ballroom and do the Foxtrot for the first time!’
DAME SARAH STOREY
AGE: 48
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Britain’s most successful Paralympian
WHY STRICTLY?: ‘Embarking on a new challenge so soon after stepping down as an athlete is hugely exciting.’
BETHANY ANTONIA
AGE: 28
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Plays Lady Baela Targaryen in House of the Dragon
WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I have grown up watching Strictly, and I am so excited to take the challenge on and (hopefully!) learn a new skill.’
GRAEME ‘THE DOGFATHER’ HALL
AGE: 59
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Hosts Channel 5 series Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly
WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I have watched the show for years, so to be a part of it feels like a very exciting challenge, albeit more than a bit nerve-wracking!’
TABBY STOECKER
AGE: 25
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Olympic champion skeleton racer
WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I’ve had the wildest year of my life so far, so to be rounding it off with a childhood dream of dancing in the Strictly ballroom is surreal and I can’t wait to get stuck in!’
MELANIE WALTERS
AGE: 64
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Playing Gwen West in BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey
WHY STRICTLY?: ‘Performing in Pantomime for the last 15 years, my Strictly ‘fix’ has always been watching in a dressing room rather than my front room.’
DANI DYER
AGE: 30
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Winning Love Island and being the daughter of actor Danny Dyer
WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I am so excited to be back in the ballroom this September! I just cannot wait to get my dancing shoes back on and hopefully this time around I can actually make it to week one!’
CHRIS APPLETON
AGE: 43
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Hairdresser to the stars – including Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez
WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I’m thrilled to be joining Strictly and coming home to the UK for this incredible experience. I’ve always believed that the best things happen when you take a chance and try something new.’
WILL BEST
AGE: 41
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Hosts Big Brother and previously TV
WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I’ve been lucky to do lots of live telly before, but absolutely nothing like this. And I cannot wait!’
JAIME WINSTONE
AGE: 41
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Starring in films such as Kidulthood and Tomb Raider
WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I am no stranger to a dance floor, but the ballroom is a whole new world for me.’
SHAUN WRIGHT-PHILLIPS
AGE: 44
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Footballer who played for the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City
WHY STRICTLY?: ‘Strictly is definitely outside my comfort zone, but I’m super excited to get started and really looking forward to the challenge!’
LAWRENCE ROBB
AGE: 34
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Plays Mackenzie Boyd on ITV’s Emmerdale
WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I can’t quite believe that I am going to be getting my dancing shoes on this September on one of my favourite shows of all time!’
JOHN NELLIS
AGE: 33
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Face of a popular football-focused YouTube channel
WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I can’t wait to meet everyone, learn a new skill and, hopefully, be much better at family parties by the end of it!’
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