The glitz, the glamour, and those unforgettable sequins -Strictly Come Dancing is back for 2026, and this year’s Strictly Come Dancing cast looks set to be as dazzling as ever!
From soap stars to sporting legends, the dance floor will be buzzing with excitement for the 24th series of Strictly Come Dancing.
Let’s meet this years Strictly line-up and find out who’ll be showing off their moves in the hopes of lifting the coveted glitterball trophy. Here’s everything you need to know, with a surprising fact!
Who are this years Strictly Celebrities?
Strictly line up – here is the full of confirmed Celebrities for 2026
Lacey Turner
Dani Dyer
Delta Goodrem
Chris Appleton
Cach Mercer
Will Best
Dame Sarah Storey
Jaime Winstone
Bethany Antonia
Shaun Wright-Philips
Graeme Hall
Lawrence Robb
Dani Dyer (Age 29) — TV Star & Author
Love Island’s 2018 winner, now a broadcaster and podcaster, Dani Dyer is ready to swap island villa drama for ballroom choreography.
On joining Strictly Come Dancing, 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!.”
Fun Fact: Dani trained at stage school from Age 2—now she’s bringing years of dance underdog energy to the dance floor.
Lacey Turner (Age 38) — Actress
EastEnders favourite Lacey Turner, best known for her iconic role as Stacey Slater, is Age 38 and ready to exchange Albert Square drama for the sparkle of the Strictly ballroom.
On joining Strictly Come Dancing, 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!”
Fun Fact: Lacey has won multiple National Television Awards for her portrayal of Stacey Slater in EastEnders.
Delta Goodrem (Age 41) — Singer, Songwriter & Actress
Australian singer-songwriter and actress Delta Goodrem is ready to swap stadium performances for sequins and the Strictly ballroom.
On joining Strictly Come Dancing, 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”
Fun Fact: Delta achieved her first number-one album at just 18 years old and has sold millions of records worldwide.
Chris Appleton (Age 43) — Celebrity Hairstylist
Celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton, known for working with some of the world’s biggest stars, is Age 43 and ready to trade the salon chair for the Strictly dance floor.
On joining Strictly Come Dancing, 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”
Fun Fact: Chris has styled celebrities including Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez, becoming one of the most recognisable hairstylists in the entertainment industry.
Cach Mercer (Age 25) – Social media star and Love Island champion
Love Island 2025 winner Cach Mercer is bringing plenty of confidence to the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom. After winning the nation’s hearts on Love Island, Cach has built a successful career as a model, DJ and social media creator, with millions of likes across TikTok.
While he’s no stranger to dancing, ballroom and Latin are a completely different challenge. On joining Strictly Come Dancing, 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!“
Away from television, Cach is also an ambassador for a young people’s mental health charity, using his platform to encourage positive conversations around wellbeing.
Fun Fact: Before finding fame on Love Island, Cach appeared on MTV’s Are You The One? UK in 2022 and has been dancing since his teens.
Will Best (Age 41) – TV and Radio Presenter
Big Brother presenter Will Best is best known for co-hosting ITV’s Big Brother and Celebrity Big Brother alongside AJ Odudu. His broadcasting career has also included programmes for MTV, Channel 4 and the BBC, while radio listeners may recognise him from the Hits Radio Breakfast Show.
Speaking about taking part, 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.”
Fun Fact: Will has previous experience of a dance competition—but only from the sidelines. In 2017, he co-presented ITV’s Dance Dance Dance alongside former Strictly contestant Alesha Dixon
Dame Sarah Storey (Age 48) – Paralympic Champion
Britain’s most successful Paralympian, Dame Sarah Storey, is preparing to take on a completely new sporting challenge in the Strictly ballroom.
During an extraordinary career spanning nine Paralympic Games, Sarah won 30 Paralympic medals. Her Strictly appearance marks an exciting new chapter following her retirement from competitive cycling in July 2026 and commented “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!“
Fun Fact: Sarah made her Paralympic debut as a swimmer at Barcelona 1992 when she was just 14 years old. She later became an elite cyclist and even won British national titles while competing against non-disabled athletes.
Jaime Winstone (Age 41) — Actress
British actress Jaime Winstone is leaving the film set behind as she prepares to make her Strictly Come Dancing debut.
Jaime has enjoyed a successful acting career across film, television and theatre, with roles including Kidulthood, Made in Dagenham, Love, Rosie, Tomb Raider and Dead Set. Jaime has said about joining Strictly Come Dancing, “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!”
Fun Fact: Jaime is the daughter of actor Ray Winstone. Her son, Raymond, was named after his famous grandfather.
Bethany Antonia (Age 28) – Actress
Bethany Antonia is best known for playing Baela Targaryen in HBO’s hit fantasy drama House of the Dragon. The Birmingham-born actress has also appeared in Get Even, Stay Close, Nolly, Doctor Who and Stath Lets Flats.
Now Bethany is swapping dragons for dancing as she takes on a completely new challenge in the Strictly ballroom and has 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!“
Fun Fact: Bethany began acting at the age of 14 after joining a television workshop in Birmingham, where she secured her first role in a short-film adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
Shaun Wright-Phillips (Age 44) – Former England Footballer
Former England international Shaun Wright-Phillips is swapping the football pitch for the ballroom as he joins the Strictly Come Dancing 2026 line-up.
Now retired from professional football, Shaun is ready to test himself in a very different arena as he takes on ballroom and Latin dancing for the first time. On joining Strictly, 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!”
Fun Fact: Shaun was adopted by former England striker Ian Wright as a young child. His brother, Bradley Wright-Phillips, also enjoyed a successful professional football career, making football very much a family affair.
Graeme Hall “The Dogfather” (Age 59) – Dog Trainer & TV Presenter
Known to millions as “The Dogfather”, Graeme Hall is one of Britain’s best-loved dog trainers and behaviourists. He rose to national fame through Channel 5’s Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly, where he has helped owners tackle everything from nervous puppies to unruly pets using kind, reward-based training methods.
Graeme said about joining Strictly “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!”.
Fun Fact: Before becoming a full-time dog trainer, Graeme enjoyed a successful career in corporate management. He didn’t begin working professionally with dogs until his thirties, proving it’s never too late to follow your passion.
Lawrence Robb (Age 34) – Actor
Scottish actor Lawrence Robb is best known for playing Mackenzie Boyd in ITV’s long-running soap Emmerdale. Before Emmerdale, Lawrence trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and appeared in a variety of stage and television productions. Now he’s stepping away from the Dales and into the ballroom as he takes on the glittering challenge of Strictly Come Dancing 2026. On joining Strictly Lawrence says “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!”
Fun Fact: Lawrence grew up in Scotland and originally dreamed of becoming a professional footballer before discovering his passion for acting during his teenage years.
📆 Friday 5th – Sunday 7th March 2027
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💃 Strictly Stars confirmed – Kai Widdrington & Lauren Oakley, Julian Caillon & Alexis Warr, Aljaz Skorjanec & Janette Manrara, Giovanni Pernice, Leandro Palou & Maria Tsiatsiani, David Cockram & Rosie Ward, Team Warren & Kristi Boyce
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