Strictly Come Dancing Leaks
Class of 2026—the 15 celebrities competing for the Glitterball in the new season of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ BBC Image/Ray Burmiston & Artwork/BBC Creative

'Strictly Come Dancing' plans to premiere with a bang on Saturday, 19 September 2026, with a new trio of hosts and a supposedly new format. According to reports, the 15 celebrities are supposed to find out who their professional dance partners are in front of the studio audience.

However, an X user already appeared to leak 11 of the 15 pairings. The list has not been confirmed by the BBC or 'Strictly Come Dancing.'

Who Is Competing for the Glitterball?

A handful of actors will soon be sashaying on the 'Strictly' stage: Bethany Antonia of 'House of the Dragon,' Lawrence Robb of 'Emmerdale,' Lacey Turner of 'EastEnders,' Melanie Walters of 'Gavin & Stacey' and Jaime Winstone of 'Babs.'

Athletes including Olympic skeleton racer Tabby Stoecker, Paralympic champion Dame Sarah Storey and former footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips will also don their dancing shoes. 'Love Island' winners Cach Mercer and Dani Dyer-Bowen are expected to shed their bathing suits in favour of glittery dancing outfits.

Celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton, TV presenter Will Best, Australian singer Delta Goodrem, dog trainer Graeme Hall and football content creator John Nellis are all in contention.

Aside from a new line-up of stars, the show is also getting new hosts this year. Comedian Josh Widdicombe, TV presenter Emma Willis and professional dancer Johannes Radebe are stepping in for long-time hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly. Winkleman and Daly exited the show at the end of 2025.

Strictly Come Dancing New Hosts
The new hosts of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’: (from left) comedian Josh Widdicombe, presenter Emma Willis and professional dancer Johannes Radebe BBC/Ray Burmiston

Competition From Other Celebrity Shows

Can the show get over its rating slump, scandals and supposed curses? The 2025 finale was reportedly the least-watched 'Strictly' finale ever —down by almost a million compared to the 2024 finale. The show's audience had been declining for years.

The show is also facing stiff competition by the end of the year. While it doesn't directly compete with 'The Celebrity Traitors' and 'I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here', the programmes compete for viewers' attention during the autumn schedule.

For years, 'Strictly' was one of the juggernaut shows by the end of the year. But when 'The Celebrity Traitors,' which Winkleman hosts, launched last year, its finale attracted some 15 million people. Meanwhile, the beloved dancing show's audience continued to decline.

'The Celebrity Traitors' is expected to return in October. Then in November, another hit show is expected to join the fray: 'I'm a Celebrity'. 'Strictly' must get the audience hooked in September to maintain viewership despite the competition in the following months.

Scandals and Curses

Over the years, 'Strictly' has had a string of scandals, including an investigation after actress Amanda Abbington complained of bullying and harassment by professional dancer Giovanni Pernice in 2024.

Graziano Di Prima was removed from the show after his spokesperson admitted that the dancer kicked TV personality Zara McDermott during an intense training session. The BBC upheld some, but not all, of her complaints, while Pernice rejected allegations of threatening or abusive behaviour.

The show is also known for its romantic 'curses,' starting with the breakup of engaged professional dancers Brendan Cole and Camilla Dallerup during the first season following reports about Cole's 'extremely close' relationship with celebrity Natasha Kaplinsky. Both Cole and Kaplinsky have denied that they had an affair.

In 2018, comedian Seann Walsh and married professional dancer Katya Jones were photographed sharing a kiss outside a pub. Presenter Rachel Riley split from her husband in 2013 and later married her professional dance partner Pasha Kovalev in 2019.