Strictly Come Dancing 2026: Which celebs have signed up?
The line-up is now confirmed!
After months of rumours and a plethora of changes to Strictly Come Dancing this year, the full line-up for the 2026 series is now official!
Announced by the BBC over the course of two months in June-August, 15 famous names from the world of TV, music, sports and social media have signed the dotted line on the contract and are gearing up to dazzle audiences on the ballroom.
Who is on Strictly this year?
EastEnders actress Lacey Turner was the first name announced for this year's show on 10th June, closely followed by Love Island's Dani Dyer, who was due to appear last year until she was forced to quit due to injury.
Other names include Hits Radio's Will Best, Australian singer Delta Goodrem, House of the Dragon star Bethany Antonia, and former England footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Gavin and Stacey star Melanie Walters, who plays Stacey's mum Gwen on the sitcom, was the final name to be announced on 12th August.
Check out the full line-up below:
Lacey Turner
Best known for: Actress
Lacey said: "I am so excited to being making my way to the dance floor this year to be a part of Strictly Come Dancing! I am a huge fan and can't quite believe I will be taking part and not watching at home this year! I look forward to meeting everyone and learning a new skill!"
Dani Dyer
Best known for: TV personality
Dani said: "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! I'm just over the moon and cannot wait to find out who else is doing it!"
Delta Goodrem
Best known for: Singer and actress
Delta said: "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! I'm absolutely thrilled to be joining Strictly and can't wait to get started!"
Chris Appleton
Best known for: World-renowned conceptual hair stylist
Chris said: 'I'm thrilled to be joining Strictly Come Dancing 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. I may know my way around a salon floor, but the dance floor is a whole different story - and I can't wait to get started.'
Cach Mercer
Best known for: Love Island winner
Cach said: "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!"
Will Best
Best known for: Radio presenter and Big Brother host
Will said: "I can't quite believe it…I'm doing Strictly! What an absolute dream. Albeit a pretty terrifying one. I've been lucky to do lots of live telly before, but absolutely nothing like this. And I cannot wait! I have no idea if I can actually dance, but bring on the sequins, bring on the quicksteps, bring on the dance floor! I'm going to try to enjoy every minute of it."
Dame Sarah Storey
Best known for: Paralympic athlete
Sarah said: "Embarking on a new challenge so soon after stepping down as an athlete is hugely exciting. I have always loved watching Strictly and my daughter Louisa is a very talented dancer, so to be able to learn from the best and hopefully understand even more about her world, is incredibly motivating! I can't wait to get started!"
Jaime Winstone
Best known for: Actress
Jamie said: "I am so excited to announce that I will be joining the Strictly Come Dancing cast this year. I am no stranger to a dance floor, but the ballroom is a whole new world for me. I love a challenge though, so can't wait to enter my showgirl era and get super sparkly!! Let's get physical – see you on the dance floor!"
Bethany Antonia
Best known for: Actress
Bethany said: "I can't quite believe that I will be heading to the Strictly ballroom this September! I have grown up watching Strictly, and I am so excited to take the challenge on and (hopefully!) learn a new skill. See you on the dancefloor!"
Shaun Wright-Phillips
Best known for: Football legend and pundit
Shaun said: "Dancing is in my blood — but mainly at family events! Strictly is definitely outside my comfort zone, but I'm super excited to get started and really looking forward to the challenge!"
Graeme Hall
Best known for: Dog coach and Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly star
Graeme said: "I can't believe I am joining the cast of Strictly for 2026. I have always loved dancing, so to have the opportunity to learn from the best in the business is a dream come true. 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! I can't wait to get started. Bring it on!"
Lawrence Robb
Best known for: Emmerdale actor
Lawrence said: "I don't know who's more excited about this, me or my Mother. 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! It's a dream come true, and I can't wait to bring my all to ballroom. Wish me luck, and any advice is very welcome - trust me I'll need it!"
Tabby Stoecker
Best known for: Team GB Skeleton athlete
Tabby said: "I am over the moon to be joining the cast of Strictly 2026. 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!"
John Nellis
Best known for: Sports Content Creator
John said: "I'm still in disbelief that I've been selected for Strictly and, if I'm honest, I'm a little nervous as I've never danced before! It's such an incredible opportunity, and I'm going to throw myself into every moment. I can't wait to meet everyone, learn a new skill and, hopefully, be much better at family parties by the end of it!"
Melanie Walters
Best known for: Gavin and Stacey actress
Melanie said: "Performing in Pantomime for the last 15 years, my Strictly 'fix' has always been watching in a dressing room rather than my front room. This year I am completely thrilled and happy to swap my fairy wand for sequinned dance shoes. I just hope I don't follow Cinderella and leave one on the Ballroom stairs. I cannot wait to take part in this absolutely iconic show, it's so exciting. See you in September!"
READ MORE: Five new pro dancers revealed for Strictly Come Dancing
Who is favourite to win Strictly this year?
With a number of this year's cast reportedly having a dance background, the standard of this year's show could be the highest it has ever been.
Accoriding to Oddschecker, reality star Dani Dyer is currently favourite to win the Glitterball Trophy, with odds of 4/1.
But it sounds like EastEnders star Lacey Turner is very popular, the 38-year-old is the 5/1 second favourite and accounted for a quarter of Strictly bets placed since the turn of the month.
When does it start?
The pre-recorded launch show with new hosts Johannes Radebe, Emma Willis and Josh Widdicombe is set to be filmed on Wednesday 9th September, airing over a week later on Saturday 19th September.
Live shows will then air weekly every Saturday night, with the usual results show being broadcast on Sunday nights.