It might feel like Strictly Come Dancing has only *just* been on our screens, but already six months have passed - and the BBC have just started dropping the contestants for this year. But who will be in the Strictly Come Dancing 2026 cast?
Back in May, Strictly Come Dancing confirmed the trio of hosts for the 2026 series would be Emma Willis, comedian Josh Widdicombe and professional dancer Johannes Radebe. The news was announced with an Instagram post on the official Strictly account, which showed the trio posing for photos together in front of a purple colourama.
And now that fans have got used to the idea of three new faces, they're now finding out about the contestants taking part.
Strictly Come Dancing 2026 line up
Melanie Walters
And the final Strictly Come Dancing contestant to join this year's lineup, is Gavin and Stacey's Melanie Walters, who plays omelette-flipping Gwen.
Speaking about joining the iconic dancing show, 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!"
John Nellis
John Nellis is the fourteenth celebrity confirmed to be heading into the ballroom!
John is one of the UK’s biggest sports content creators and has over 20 million followers, and here's what he had to say about joining the dancing competition: "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!"
Tabby Stoecker
Team GB skeleton athlete Tabby Stoecker, who won gold at 2026 Winter Olympic Games is heading into the Strictly ballroom. Ahead of her dancing debut, Tabby said she was so excited to be bringing a childhood dream to life, with her appearance on Strictly.
She 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!"
Lawrence Robb
The most recent celebrity to be added to the Strictly Come Dancing lineup for 2026 is Emmerdale actor Lawrence Robb. Robb has played Mackenzie 'Mack' Boyd for six years and has been part of some of the soap's biggest storylines over the last few years. Prior to appearing in the Dales Robb spent a lot of time performing in the West End, with shows including I Hate Suzie and Legally Blonde the Musical.
As for how he feels about joining Strictly? "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!"
Graeme 'The Dogfather' Hall
Dog trainer and presenter of Channel 5’s hit show Dog’s Behaving (Very) Badly Graeme Hall is heading into the Strictly ballroom this year. He's used to being the one doing the training, so how will he fare getting a lot of instruction in the ballroom? We can't wait to see!
Speaking about joining the show 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!
Shaun Wright-Phillips
The 10th celebrity to be confirmed to be joining this year's Strictly, is former England footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips. Over his career Shaun played for Manchester City, Chelsea and Queens Park Rangers and now works as a pundit.
As for how he feels about swapping the pitch for the dancefloor? "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!"
Bethany Antonia
House of the Dragon's Bethany Antonia, who plays Baela Targaryen in the HBO series, will be heading to the ballroom this autumn. Dragons or Craig Revel Horwood? We're not sure who we'd rather go up against.
Bethany shared how excited she was to be taking part in the coming series, saying: "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!"
Jaime Winstone
TV and film actor Jaime Winstone, known for starring in Dead Set, Torville & Dean, Poirot, Mad Dogs, Count Abdulla and many more, is heading to the ballroom.
Speaking about her upcoming appearance on the show, Jaime 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!"
Dame Sarah Storey
Dame Sarah Storey is the UK's most accomplished Paralympian of all time, having won 19 gold medals throughout her career as a cyclist, and now she's hoping to pick up one more accolade - the Glitterball Trophy, as she signs up for this year's Strictly.
Speaking about signing up for the series, 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!"
Will Best
The presenter is swapping his microphone for his dancing shoes as he takes part in this year's Strictly Come Dancing. Will, who is best known for presenting Big Brother, and Hits Radio Breakfast Show said of his upcoming appearance on Strictly: "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."
Cach Mercer
After winning the Love Island final last year content creator Cach is back on our screens to take part in Strictly Come Dancing.
Speaking about taking part in the competition 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!”
Chris Appleton
Hairstylist to the A-List (including Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez), hairdresser Chris Appleton is swapping the salon floor for the dance floor.
Chris, who is British, but now resides in LA, said of joining the show: "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."
Delta Goodrem
Delta Goodrem is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. She is also a coach on The Voice Australia and achieved one of the country's best ever results at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.
Delta Goodrem says: “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!”
Lacey Turner
The first person announced for the 2026 show, which usually kicks off in September, was actor Lacey Turner. She is best known as Stacey Slater in EastEnders, having joined the show back in 2004, but she has also appeared in a range of stage productions and television dramas including the lead role in acclaimed BBC Drama Our Girl.
Speaking about joining Strictly, 38-year-old 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
She's back! After being confirmed to appear in last year's series, Dani sadly injured herself before the live shows took place and couldn't carry on. However, she's now confirmed to be returning for this series.
Speaking about her return 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!”
Dani is best known for winning Love Island in 2018, since then she's been a regular on our TV screens and she most recently won Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. She's also had appearances on Celebrity MasterChef, Celebrity Gogglebox and EastEnders.
Watch this space for more announcements!
