Strictly Come Dancing 2026: Start Date, Cast, Presenters, New Dancers And Everything We Know

For many of us, the return of Strictly Come Dancing each autumn provides some much-needed familiarity and cosy escapism.

But if that’s what keeps you tuning in year after year, it’s worth flagging now that the show is undergoing some big changes ahead of its 2026 incarnation.

While regular hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have already delivered their last “keep dancing”, having stepped down as hosts at the end of last year, bosses are shaking up everything from the show’s presenting team and line-up of pros to other major ways that fans have been enjoying the show for years.

Here’s everything we know about the upcoming series…

After months of rumours, it was confirmed back in May that outgoing hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have been replaced by a new presenting trio at the helm of Strictly in 2026.

TV presenter Emma Willis, Strictly fave Johannes Radebe and comedian Josh Widdicombe are joining forces to front the BBC dance show when it returns to our screens in the autumn.

Although Emma is a total newbie to the Strictly ballroom, she does have plenty of reality TV experience, having previously hosted the likes of Big Brother, The Circle, Love Is Blind UK and The Voice.

Johannes, meanwhile, had been a Strictly pro for eight seasons before making the jump to his new presenting role – having been responsible for some of the show’s most memorable moments in recent history – while Josh previously took part in the Strictly Christmas special back in 2024.

At the time of writing, 12 spots on the Strictly line-up are now accounted for, with the cast announcements having started much earlier than usual way back in June.

Here’s the current line-up as it stands:

• Bethany Antonia (Stay Close and House Of The Dragon actor)
• Cach Mercer (dancer and Love Island winner)
• Chris Appleton (celebrity hairstylist)
• Dani Dyer (TV personality and Love Island winner)
• Delta Goodrem (pop singer)
• Graeme Hall (canine expert known to fans as The Dogfather)
• Jaime Winston (Kidulthood and Babs actor)
• Lacey Turner (EastEnders staple)
• Lawrence Robb (Emmerdale actor)
• Dame Sarah Storey (record-breaking Paralympian)
• Shaun Wright-Phillips (former England player and football pundit)
• Will Best (Big Brother and Hits Radio host)

Which celebrities are rumoured to be in the Strictly Come Dancing 2026 cast?

Currently, there are just three spots remaining on this year’s Strictly line-up, and a host of stars still rumoured to be taking part.

Among the more prolific celebrities who’ve been tipped to have signed up include This Morning host Josie Gibson, reigning Traitors winner Stephen Libby, Gavin & Stacey fave Melanie Walters and Gladiators ref Mark Clattenburg.

Check out our guide to all of this year’s rumoured Strictly stars here.

It was well-documented that there was something of a mass exodus among Strictly’s resident troupe of dancers earlier this year, with Karen Hauer (who had been the show’s longest-serving pro), Gorka Márquez, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk and Michelle Tsiakkas having now all said farewell to the Strictly ballroom before it was confirmed that Johannes would also be shifting to a new presenting role.

In their absence, BBC bosses have confirmed that five new dancers will all be strutting their stuff this year.

• Aleksandra Isaeva (Ukrainian Latin champion)
• Cristian Priori (four-time Italian Latin champion)
• Lethabo Monametsi (South African youth Latin champion)
• Mark Karmalita (two-time Canadian Latin champion)
• Maddie Ingoldsby (British national ballroom dancing champion and eight-time 10-dance world champion)

Get to know the new additions a little better below:

Reacting to the news, Shirley Ballas told Strictly fans: “Get ready everyone, we are in for something very special. I’ve witnessed first-hand these young dancers within my industry and they are some of the very very best.

“We are blessed to have them enter our ballroom. I’m excited.”

Joining them will be returning performers Dianne Buswell, Julian Caillon, Amy Dowden, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Jowita Przystał, Aljaž Škorjanec, Alexis Warr, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Lauren Oakley, Vito Coppola and Strictly’s reigning champion pro, Carlos Gu.

Well, at least that’s one thing that isn’t changing this year.

Once again, the panel will be made up of Craig Revel-Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke.

Following Tess Daly’s exit, Craig is now the only member of the Strictly family to have been in the same role since the show’s inception in 2004 (Anton has also been with the show all that time, but previously served as a pro for 18 series before making a move over to the judging panel).

Back in June, The Sun reported that, in keeping with bosses’ plans to “drastically shake things up” with the upcoming series, the Strictly studio is also being given a make-over.

An undisclosed “insider” told the tabloid: “It’s going to get a more sleek, impressive set, but it will still be all about fun, glitz and sparkles.

“They aren’t trying to turn it into the set of Star Wars. But it would have been strange not to have made some change to the look of the show, given that the programme is starting a new chapter with so many other new elements.”

This remains unclear for the time being, but after more than 20 years on the air, it doesn’t sound like the show will be returning as we know it this year.

Instead, it was suggested that the show would be retooled into a vodcast-style series more in keeping with companion shows for hit BBC reality shows The Traitors and Race Across The World.

Janette Manrara has confirmed she will not be returning to host, with signs indicating that Fleur East is also not back, while The Sun reported recently that former Strictly competitor Ellie Taylor has bagged the presenting role in the show’s era.

A recent BBC announcement read: “The much-loved themed weeks – including Movies, Icons, Halloween and Musicals – plus the Instant Dance challenge will also be back, following its high-energy debut in 2025.

“As well as all this, one of the most iconic milestones of the series, the annual visit to the iconic Blackpool Tower Ballroom, will once again be a highlight for everyone to look forward to.”

A specific release date is yet to be confirmed, but what we do know is that Strictly’s 24th series will, as usual, premiere in September.

Traditionally, the show begins with a pre-recorded launch show, in which the stars discover who they’ve been partnered with, and take part in a mass group dance with the entire cast.

A week later, the live shows kick off, with the first elimination usually airing the night after the second live show.