The BBC has confirmed the full celebrity line-up for the 24th series of Strictly Come Dancing, bringing together 15 contestants ranging from soap actors to Olympic and Paralympic athletes ahead of a heavily revamped autumn run. The series arrives with three new presenters, five new professional dancers and a reformatted companion show, marking what is being described as the biggest shake-up in the programme's history. Below, the full cast is ranked from least to most likely to lift the glitterball trophy.
The announcements were staggered across roughly two months rather than delivered in one reveal, prompting some grumbling about the absence of major household names this year. That drip-feed approach began with Lacey Turner being unveiled as the first confirmed celebrity, and continued through the summer with additions including Love Island winner Cach Mercer joining as the fifth confirmed name.
What changed behind the scenes this year?
The production reshuffle goes well beyond the dancers themselves. Earlier this year, the BBC confirmed that five professional dancers, including Karen Hauer and Gorka Marquez, were departing the show, while 15 professionals stayed on and the judging panel remained unchanged. Hosting duties have also been overhauled: Zoe Ball confirmed she had not been chosen as a new presenter after auditioning for the role, with Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe ultimately taking over presenting duties alongside the returning judges.
According to the official BBC line-up announcement, the roster of professional dancers returning for series 24 includes Dianne Buswell, Amy Dowden, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin and Vito Coppola, while five newcomers — Aleksandra Isaeva, Maddie Ingoldsby, Mark Karmalita, Lethabo Monametsi and Cristian Priori — join the professional troupe for the first time, according to the BBC's official media centre release.
That same release confirms Gavin & Stacey actor Melanie Walters as the 15th and final celebrity added to the line-up, a detail also reported by The Independent's coverage of the completed cast. The series follows on from the 2025 run, which was won by Karen Carney and her partner Carlos Gu, a result referenced in reporting on the returning professional line-up.
15. Is John Nellis the biggest unknown in the field?
Yes — the Northern Irish YouTuber enters as arguably the least mainstream name in the cast. Described in casting material as one of Britain's biggest sports content creators, Nellis has amassed around 20 million followers across social media platforms through football-focused content, despite having no prior dance experience. That inexperience makes him an early favourite for a swift exit.
14. Can the 'Dogfather' fetch some early votes?
Graeme Hall, presenter of Channel 5's Dog's Behaving (Very) Badly and known to fans as the Dogfather, brings novelty value rather than obvious dance pedigree. His casting is less about glamour and more about the potential for canine-themed routines and running jokes throughout the series, even if his technical chances look limited.
13. Can a former England winger outscore expectations?
Shaun Wright-Phillips, the former England and club winger, follows in the footsteps of Karen Carney, who became the show's first footballing winner in the 2025 series. At 5ft 5in, Wright-Phillips is likely to be paired with one of the shorter professional dancers, such as Jowita Przystał, but faces a tough task matching Carney's success.
12. Is a celebrity hairdresser too niche a casting choice?
Chris Appleton, best known as Kim Kardashian's hairdresser and stylist to Ariana Grande, Katy Perry and Jennifer Lopez, stretches the traditional definition of a Strictly celebrity. The Leicester-born stylist's casting appears partly designed to draw high-profile names into the studio audience, though his dance ability remains untested publicly.
11. Can the oldest contestant use fitness to her advantage?
Melanie Walters, known for playing Gwen in Gavin & Stacey, is the eldest competitor in this year's cast at 64. She teaches pilates in her spare time, giving her a fitness base that could help offset any experience gap against younger contestants. Her casting also completed the confirmed 15-strong line-up for the series, according to the BBC's official announcement.
10. Can Will Best repeat his Big Brother co-host's success?
Will Best's former Big Brother co-presenter AJ Odudu reached the final of Strictly five years ago, setting a benchmark he may struggle to match. Best recently won Celebrity Mastermind with Danny Dyer as his specialist subject, an ironic detail given he will be dancing alongside Dyer's daughter this series. He previously fronted the short-lived ITV talent format Dance Dance Dance.
9. Can Britain's most decorated Paralympian adapt to ballroom?
Dame Sarah Storey enters as the sixth Paralympian to compete on the show, following a career that began in swimming before she moved into cycling. She holds 30 Paralympic medals, including 19 golds, making her Britain's most decorated Paralympian, though no previous Paralympian contestant has reached the final.
8. Will an Olympic skeleton racer bring gymnastic flair to the floor?
Tabby Stoecker won gold in skeleton racing at the recent Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina and is also set to appear on the next series of Gladiators under the name Goldstar. A former gymnast and circus performer, Stoecker's physical background suggests she could adapt quickly to the demands of ballroom and Latin routines.
7. Can an Australian pop star break the non-British winner's curse?
Delta Goodrem, 41, finished fourth for Australia at this year's Eurovision Song Contest with the ballad Eclipse. Before her music career, she played Nina Tucker in the Australian soap Neighbours. Fellow former Neighbours cast member Jason Donovan reached the Strictly final in a previous series, while Stefan Dennis was eliminated early last year — and no non-British contestant has yet won the competition outright.
6. Can another Emmerdale actor follow recent winners?
Emmerdale cast members have fared well on Strictly in recent years: Kelvin Fletcher won the competition in 2019 and Lewis Cope reached the quarter-finals last year. Glaswegian actor Lawrence Robb, who plays Mackenzie "Mack" Boyd in the soap's Dingle family storyline, brings stage-school training and West End experience that could put him among this year's stronger technical dancers.
5. Does House of the Dragon's Bethany Antonia have hidden dance pedigree?
Bethany Antonia, who plays Lady Baela Targaryen in the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, has been a professional actor since age 14. She trained at stage school and currently stars in the West End production of Hadestown, giving her a performance background that suggests she could progress deep into the series.
4. Will a Love Island winner face 'ringer' accusations?
Cach Mercer, winner of the 2025 series of Love Island, joined the Strictly line-up as its fifth confirmed contestant. Some traditional fans have questioned his inclusion, partly because Mercer previously worked as a professional dancer specialising in hip-hop and Afrobeats rather than ballroom or Latin styles, raising debate over whether his prior training gives him an unfair advantage.
3. Will Dani Dyer finally complete her delayed Strictly run?
Dani Dyer returns to the competition after withdrawing from the 2025 series due to injury before it began, according to the BBC's official line-up announcement. The daughter of actor Danny Dyer previously won Love Island and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, and married West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen last year, a connection likely to generate football-related jokes from new host Josh Widdicombe throughout the series.
2. Can Jaime Winstone channel her Barbara Windsor role into dance success?
Jaime Winstone, daughter of actor Ray Winstone, is known for her portrayal of Barbara Windsor in the BBC biopic Babs and for playing a young Peggy Mitchell in EastEnders flashback scenes. Speaking about her casting, Winstone said:
can't wait to enter my showgirl era
Her enthusiasm, combined with a stated love of dancing, places her among the stronger contenders in this year's field.
1. Can Lacey Turner make it four wins for EastEnders alumni?
Lacey Turner, who played Stacey Slater in EastEnders on and off for 20 years after joining the soap at 16, and who also starred in the BBC army drama Our Girl, was the first celebrity confirmed for this year's series. Turner had turned down previous approaches from the show for around a decade before finally agreeing to take part, saying:
about time
Three of her former EastEnders castmates — Jill Halfpenny, Kara Tointon and Rose Ayling-Ellis — have previously won the Strictly glitterball trophy, and Turner is considered a strong favourite to make it four wins for the soap's alumni.
What happens next?
According to the BBC's official media centre announcement, the full 2026 series is scheduled to begin in September on BBC One and the broadcaster's streaming service. The same announcement describes the confirmed line-up as complete "so far," suggesting further casting or format details could still emerge before the series launches.
Key Facts
- The 2026 series features 15 confirmed celebrity contestants, with Melanie Walters announced last.
- Five new professional dancers join this year: Aleksandra Isaeva, Maddie Ingoldsby, Mark Karmalita, Lethabo Monametsi and Cristian Priori.
- New presenting team includes Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe.
- Sarah Storey becomes the sixth Paralympian to compete on the show, with 30 Paralympic medals to her name.
- The series is set to launch in September 2026 on BBC One and the BBC's streaming platform.
