The Strictly Come Dancing class of 2026 met for the first time on Thursday, arriving at a London studio for their first dance rehearsals. Following an initial meeting, the celebrities returned the next day to meet the professional dancers. Despite fans branding the lineup the worst ever in the BBC programme's 22-year run, the contestants appeared in great spirits.
Dani Dyer flashed a smile as she walked in. The 30-year-old Love Island winner and daughter of actor Danny Dyer is returning after fracturing her ankle before the first show last year, when she was paired with Nikita Kuzmin. Dyer wore a black top, a leopard-print skirt and nude sandals, and shared a selfie on her way to the studios before changing into a skintight co-ord and trainers. "I am so excited to be back in the ballroom this September!" she said. "I just cannot wait to get my dancing shoes back on and hopefully this time around I can actually make it to week one!"
Australian singer Delta Goodrem, 41, wore a white top, a brown leather skirt, towering heels and a small snake-print handbag. For rehearsals, she wore a plunging black top, flared leggings and blue trainers, and flashed a smile as she left. The actress, who played Nina Tucker in Neighbours and has released eight music albums, 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!"
Jaime Winstone, 41, embraced the UK heatwave in denim hotpants and brown cowboy boots, rocking a pair of oversized shades as she headed into the studio. The actress, who starred in Kidulthood and Tomb Raider, said: "I am no stranger to a dance floor, but the ballroom is a whole new world for me."
Gavin and Stacey actress Melanie Walters, 64, who played Gwen West in the BBC sitcom, was the final star announced for the cast this week. She carried a sunhat and beamed as she met her fellow contestants. "Performing in Pantomime for the last 15 years, my Strictly 'fix' has always been watching in a dressing room rather than my front room," she said.
Celebrity cast members
EastEnders actress Lacey Turner, 38, who plays Stacey Slater, arrived looking summery in a pastel striped midi dress. "I'm so excited and terrified at the same time but I've had so many friends do Strictly and I thought it was about time that I plunked up the courage and made my way onto that dance floor," she said.
Celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton, 43, who works with Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez, wore a denim shirt and jeans before changing into a plaid shirt. He was spotted hugging his fellow star Lawrence Robb. Appleton said: "I'm thrilled to be joining Strictly 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."
Love Island 2025 winner and TikTok influencer Cach Mercer, 25, wore a grey vest and baggy jeans, and was also seen in a vest and shorts. "I have grown up watching the show with my family and am so excited to now be part of the cast," she said. "Dancing is a huge passion of mine and I can't wait to learn Ballroom and do the Foxtrot for the first time!"
Big Brother host Will Best, 41, arrived in good spirits, noting: "I've been lucky to do lots of live telly before, but absolutely nothing like this. And I cannot wait!" Britain's most successful Paralympian, Dame Sarah Storey, 48, arrived in all black. "Embarking on a new challenge so soon after stepping down as an athlete is hugely exciting," she said.
House of the Dragon actress Bethany Antonia, 28, who plays Lady Baela Targaryen, arrived in shorts. "I have grown up watching Strictly, and I am so excited to take the challenge on and (hopefully!) learn a new skill," she said.
Former Chelsea and Manchester City footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips, 44, opted for a black T-shirt and white trousers. Presenter Graeme 'The Dogfather' Hall, 59, who hosts the Channel 5 series Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly, wore a paisley shirt and shorts. Both men flashed a thumbs-up for the cameras as they headed inside, and Wright-Phillips had a smile on his face. Wright-Phillips said the show was "definitely outside my comfort zone, but I'm super excited to get started", while Hall described it as "a very exciting challenge, albeit more than a bit nerve-wracking!"
Emmerdale actor Lawrence Robb, 34, who plays Mackenzie Boyd on the ITV soap, was casually clad in a navy vest paired with white trousers and sandals. "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!" he said. YouTuber John Nellis, 33, who is the face of a popular football-focused channel, looked in great spirits. "I can't wait to meet everyone, learn a new skill and, hopefully, be much better at family parties by the end of it!" he said.
Olympic champion skeleton racer Tabby Stoecker, 25, paired a white vest with linen trousers and flip-flops, and seemed in great spirits. "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!" she said. She also shared a throwback from when she met last year's contestant Montell Douglas, who taught her the waltz.
Professional dancers also attended the rehearsals, and Nancy Xu appeared in high spirits after completing the first day. Amy Dowden looked effortlessly stylish as she was seen leaving the studio alongside Vito Coppola, who cheekily wore a shirt reading "Italians do it better", and Dianne Buswell, who wore a red top with denim hotpants. Lethabo Monametsi was also spotted at the studio.
Focus on social media
Strictly attracts millions of viewers every weekend, but producers have faced criticism this year that the professional dancers are better known than the celebrity cast. Viewers have left comments on the programme's social media posts asking who the contestants are rather than expressing excitement.
Producers are said to have selected stars with large social media followings. While Nellis does not have a Wikipedia page, he has 15.7 million YouTube subscribers, and Appleton has four million Instagram fans.
Audience data shows about 60 per cent of Strictly viewers are aged 55 or older, placing the average age firmly in the mid-50s and above. The majority of viewers are currently Generation X, aged 46 to 61, and Baby Boomers, aged 62 to 80. Bosses are keen to attract Generation Z viewers, aged 14 to 29.
Suggestions have emerged that the show is following a similar, hugely successful social media strategy employed by Dancing With The Stars in the United States. That programme used contestants' followings to its advantage by introducing a TikTok Night last year, which saw participants perform viral dance routines and sparked an uptick in interaction from younger audiences. The American programme has more than five million TikTok followers, in comparison to Strictly's 670,000.
A source told The Sun that bringing in new viewers familiar with the internet stars was more important than traditional fans knowing the signings.
"Their followers are vast in numbers, enthusiastic and, by sharing content on Strictly, raise the profile of the show massively," the source said. "And, in time, the viewers who don't know these people get to know them. If anything they end up going on much more of a 'Strictly Journey' than the stars you'd describe as 'household names.'"
Presenter and dancer changes
The 24th season returns next month with major format changes to a show previously known for its formulaic regime. Longtime hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have quit, replaced by a trio of presenters with strong online presences.
Comedian Josh Widdicombe has more than half a million Instagram followers on his personal account and another 250,000 for his Parenting Hell podcast. He is joined by Emma Willis, who has two million Instagram followers, and fan-favourite dancer Johannes Radebe, who will act as a co-presenter this year and has 458,000 followers.
The celebrity lineup was announced on social media this year rather than on radio and television.
Several professional dancers have been given the boot, including Nadiya Bychkova, Karen Hauer, Michelle Tsiakkas, Luba Mushtuk and Gorka Marquez. It is understood dancers with larger online followings have been chosen over those who are not as TikTok friendly, as the series tries desperately to attract a younger audience. Bychkova, who was axed, has 214,000 Instagram followers, while Buswell, who kept her place, has 1.2 million Instagram followers and 973,000 on TikTok.
Five new young professionals have been recruited: Maddie Ingoldsby, Aleksandra Isaeva, Cristian Priori, Lethabo Monametsi and Mark Karmalita. Ingoldsby, a ballroom champion, boasts 364,000 TikTok followers.
Former Strictly judge and renowned choreographer Arlene Phillips recently criticised the professional hirings on Good Morning Britain.
"The new pros, as long as they can dance," Phillips said. "I mean, most of them are sort of influencers and they talk an awful lot. As long as those pros can dance."
An insider claimed the pipeline that used to feed large television shows had changed, with boyband and girlband stars less prevalent. The source said securing someone from a soap or a big drama was once a massive deal, but that draw had diminished somewhat.
"Now, though, social media is continuing to boom and big stars from the world of TikTok, YouTube and Instagram are known to a vast section of society," the source added. Loyal viewers will finally be able to give their say on all the changes when the series returns next month.
