Strictly Come Dancing 2026 Cast: All The Line-Up Rumours So Far

So… erm… what exactly is going on with the casting announcements for this year’s Strictly Come Dancing?

Back in June, Strictly bosses surprised fans when they began unveiling stars from the upcoming line-up months earlier than normal, with EastEnders favourite Lacey Turner the first to be confirmed.

In the days that followed, Dani Dyer and Delta Goodrem were also revealed to have signed up, and after a week’s break, hairstylist Chris Appleton became the fourth star announced.

After that, there was nothing for three weeks, until Cach Mercer became the fifth contestant (and second Love Islander…) to be announced.

However, this inconsistency hasn’t stopped rumours from spreading about other celebrities who could be hitting the dance floor in 2026, with a host of stars from the world of TV, sport and beyond tipped to be taking part.

While we wait for more news from the BBC, here’s a quick guide to which celebrities have been rumoured for Strictly 2026 so far…

Way back in March, daytime favourite Josie Gibson was named by The Sun as the “first celeb lined up” for the new season.

Josie first rose to fame as the winner of the final series of Big Brother in the Channel 4 era, and since then, she’s become known for her appearances on This Morning and I’m A Celebrity.

The tabloid’s “source” claimed that bosses had been hoping to get Josie to sign up for years, and that they’re “hoping this year is the year”.

Josie later downplayed the rumours, insisting she’d “had nobody contact me” about an appearance on Strictly, and that the whole thing was an April Fool’s joke.

Dame Sarah Storey is a British sporting legend, with a whopping 19 gold medals from the Paralympic games – in both cycling and swimming – and 75 world records to her name.

In June, The Sun cited a source who said that for her next venture, Dame Sarah had signed up for Strictly and was “really excited to be learning a new skill”.

Before that, she had signed up for what would turn out to be the final season of Dancing On Ice on ITV, but had to withdraw from the series before it began due to injury.

At the beginning of June, The Sun claimed that Jeff Brazier had been approached about taking part in Strictly, three years after his eldest son Bobby Brazier competed on the show, finishing as runner-up in the live final.

Jeff, best known as a TV presenter, previously competed on the celebrity version of Race Across The World with his younger son Freddie, having also taken part in reality shows like The Farm, Celebrity MasterChef and Dancing On Ice.

Following Bobby’s stint, Jeff said he had turned down the chance to appear on Strictly so as not to step on his son’s toes, but the tabloid claims he’s now had a change of heart…

To millions of viewers, Melanie Walters is best known for her work as the loveable Gwen in all three seasons of Gavin & Stacey.

In late June, The Sun reported that Melanie had “signed up for Strictly”, two years on from the show-stopping finale of Gavin & Stacey, which aired on Christmas Day in 2024.

When it was confirmed that Dani Dyer had signed up for Strictly 2026, it was no major surprise, as she’d originally been booked to compete a year earlier, until an injury sustained during training meant she was no longer able to compete.

However, Dani wasn’t the only Strictly star who had to bow out early last year.

Like the Love Island winner, Game Of Thrones star Kristian Nairn also had to withdraw from Strictly 2025 on medical grounds, leading many to wonder if he, too, has been invited back for this year’s run.

Kristian is probably most well-known for his performance as Hodor in Game Of Thrones, but he also appeared more recently in the comedy Our Flag Means Death.

Jake Quickenden is a reality TV veteran at this point, famously finishing in second place in the jungle mere weeks after being voted off The X Factor back in 2014.

Since then, he’s also appeared in Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins and Dancing On Ice, which he won the year the ITV skating show was revived in 2018.

The Sun has claimed that, since Jake joined the cast of the CBBC series Jamie Johnson FC, Strictly bosses are now considering him to be “in the BBC stables”, therefore “part of the gang” and a suitable candidate for Strictly 2026.

Last year, Tom Parker Bowles was named in the press as a hot favourite for the Strictly Come Dancing line-up, but ultimately wound up not being part of the cast.

Tom is best known for being a food critic and writer – plus, as his name suggests, the son of Queen Camilla and her first husband Andrew Parker-Bowles.

Because he was reported to be at the top of producers’ wishlists in 2025, many outlets are already suggesting that he might make it onto this year’s series instead.

Alright, this is one we’d say should probably be taken with a pinch of salt, but stay with us.

In mid-June, former Strictly Come Dancing finalist Emma Barton was being interviewed by Roman Kemp on The One Show, where she took a moment to reflect on her time on the BBC competition series.

She claimed: “It’s nerve-racking, isn’t it? And it’s scary?”

“Roman, you know, as well…” Emma added, to which Roman quickly interjected: “I have never done it! I’ve never done it.”

However, the faux pas led many to question whether Emma may have let slip something that she shouldn’t have, with Roman having been named in the press as a potential Strictly contestant numerous times in the past.

For now, at least, the BBC is staying tight-lipped on all Strictly Come Dancing casting rumours, ahead of the show’s return to our screens in the autumn.