From a Gavin and Stacey star to Dani Dyer’s return: every Strictly Come Dancing 2026 contestant rated
The wait is over. From soap stars to athletes and Kim Kardashian’s hairdresser, we’ve rated this year’s celebrity hoofers in terms of likely glitterball success
No Tessbot. No Clauditorium. Three new presenters, five new professionals and a new-look “vodcast” It Takes Two sister show. Yes, the fast-approaching 24th series represents Strictly Come Dancing’s biggest ever shake-up. This has become a make-or-break year for the BBC’s ballroom behemoth.
Lineup announcements have been strung out over two months, like a boring byelection, but the Strictly class of 2026 is finally complete. There are the usual grumbles about a lack of household names, with theories that the casting department prioritised social media followings over mainstream fame. My personal feeling is they have smashed it with the women, who comfortably overshadow the far weaker lineup of men. This raises the pleasing possibility of the first back-to-back female champions since Abbey Clancy and Caroline Flack more than a decade ago.
So who will be getting double-dipped in orange emulsion and rolled in glitter on autumnal Saturday nights? Whose mantelpiece could be graced by the glitterball trophy? And who’ll be sent home before we’ve even bothered to learn their name? We’ve rated this year’s celebrity hoofers from worst to best in terms of likely sparkly success. Staaaaaart ranking …
15. John Nellis
He’s a “football influencer”, apparently. A job I didn’t know existed until I started typing this. It says here that the YouTuber is “one of Britain’s biggest sports content creators” with a whopping 20 million followers across social media. The Northern Irishman has never danced before, so should be choreographic cannon fodder. Shame it wasn’t John Nettles. He could’ve foxtrotted to the Bergerac and Midsomer Murders theme tunes.
14. Graeme Hall
Will he perform a pekingese waltz, a King Charleston spaniel or a chihuahua cha-cha? Will he be terrier-ble or could he make it to Blackpoodle? Going from house training to dance training is canine cult hero Graeme “the Dogfather” Hall, presenter of Channel 5’s Dog’s Behaving (Very) Badly. Not the most glamorous piece of casting, perhaps, but at least it allows all manner of hound-based hilarity. Let him off the leash and go for rumba walkies. Good boy.
13. Shaun Wright-Phillips
What’s the betting they tried his dad, Ian Wright, first? Strictly got its first ever footballing winner last year in Karen Carney, but former England winger Wright-Phillips will do well to make the away fixture at Blackpool. He’s a pint-sized 5ft 5in, so expect short king Shauny to be paired with one of the pocket rocket female pros, such as Jowita Przystał. Shame Tess is no longer around to say “look at their little faces”.
12. Chris Appleton
“Kim Kardashian’s hairdresser” is stretching the definition of “celebrity” to snapping point. Who next? Jane McDonald’s chiropodist? Olly Murs’ dental hygienist? The bloke who does Christopher Biggins’ gutters? The Leicester-born coiffure-wrangler’s other clients include Ariana Grande, Katy Perry and J-Lo. A factor in his casting is surely the hope of seeing a Kardashian in the studio audience. We imagine he’ll be pretty good. And possibly give his pro partner a glow-up. Going anywhere nice on your holidays, hun?
11. Melanie Walters
What’s occurrin’? Stopping off at Elstree en route to Billericay will be the actor best known as Gwen from Gavin & Stacey. The Barry-based matriarch is constantly making omelettes in the Anglo-Welsh romcom. That extra protein could come in handy on long training days. At 64, she’s the oldest contestant in the field, but Walters teaches pilates, so is fit and flexible. Stacey’s mum has got it going on. Just ask Dave Coaches. Hey, maybe we’ll finally find out what happened between Uncle Bryn and his nephew Jason on that fateful fishing trip. Lush and tidy indeed.
10. Will Best
His Big Brother co-host AJ Odudu reached the final five years ago. Can Will Best follow in her twinkle-toed footsteps? He recently won Celebrity Mastermind with the specialist subject of Danny Dyer, so will be embarrassingly excited to dance alongside Dyer’s daughter. He’s fit, funny and annoyingly multitalented, so could prove a surprise package. He also hosted a flop ITV talent show called Dance Dance Dance, which feels like an omen of … something?
9. Sarah Storey
She swims! She cycles! But can she samba? Dame Sarah Storey began her sporting career in the pool, before switching to the velodrome. Her 30 medals, including 19 golds, make her Team GB’s most decorated Paralympian of all time. Having hung up her Lycra onesie this summer, she becomes the first Dame to hit the ballroom floor and the sixth Paralympian. None reached the final but the ever-competitive Storey will have the podium in her sights. What’s the Storey? Glitterball glory?
8. Tabby Stoecker
The field’s other decorated athlete is Team GB skeleton racer Stoecker, who won gold at the recent Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina. She’s clearly a teacher’s pet at the BBC because she’ll also join the next series of Gladiators as “Goldstar”. A former gymnast and circus performer, Stoecker should hit the dancefloor running. Prepare for lifts, tricks and a sled-themed VT with her terrified pro partner.
7. Delta Goodrem
The 41-year-old Australian diva went down a storm at this year’s Eurovision, finishing fourth (she wuz robbed) with power ballad Eclipse. Goodrem played Nina Tucker in Neighbours before joining the long line of Ramsay Street residents who changed lanes to pop. Erinsborough alumni have mixed fortunes on Strictly. Jason Donovan reached the final, but Stefan Dennis, the flamin’ galah, got an early Qantas flight home last year (other long-haul airlines are available). Non-Brits never win, but Delta could dance into December.
6. Lawrence Robb
Emmer-males have tasted Strictly success in recent years. Kelvin Fletcher lifted the glitterball trophy in 2019 and Lewis Cope was a quarter-finalist last year. Waltzing out of the Woolpack in their welly-booted footsteps is Glaswegian actor Robb, AKA Mackenzie “Mack” Boyd, part of the Dales soap’s Dingle dynasty. He’s stage school-trained with West End experience, so there could be ringer rumblings. All the Dingle ladies, put your hands up.
5. Bethany Antonia
Swapping Westeros for Borehamwood is Lady Baela Targaryen from GoT prequel House of the Dragon. Expect sword props, castle themes and gags about the judges being dragons. Antonia has been acting professionally since age 14, went to stage school and is starring in West End musical Hadestown, so we suspect she’ll be a helluva hoofer. Winter is coming and she’ll go far. If not, she’ll probably have Anton’s head on a spike and Craig shot on the toilet with a crossbow.
4. Cach Mercer
He got a text! From the BBC casting department! Some ballroom purists have bemoaned the inclusion of the 2025 Love Island champion as a sign of the show salsa-ing downmarket. There might also be ringer rumblings when this bombshell enters the Strictly villa. Mercer used to be a pro dancer – albeit specialising in hip-hop and Afrobeats, rather than ballroom and Latin. Could go a long way but won’t win. It is what it is, babe. You’re just not a glitterball type on paper.
3. Dani Dyer
Surprising precisely nobody, last year’s pre-series injury dropout is back for another go. The daughter and near-namesake of adored cockney thesp Danny Dyer won Love Island and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, so she has form in such contests. Dyer Jr married West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen last year, so expect footbantz™ from new host Josh Widdicombe. Like last year, we predict a waltz to Hammers anthem I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles, while her soppy dad gets weepy in the front row. Jog on, you melt.
2. Jaime Winstone
Get outta my pub! Get into my ballroom! Actor Jamie, daughter of Ray Winstone, is probably best known for her acclaimed portrayal of blond-beehived whirlwind Barbara Windsor in BBC biopic Babs. She later stepped into Windsor’s high heels to play the young Peggy Mitchell in EastEnders flashbacks. Winstone loves to dance, relishes a challenge and “can’t wait to enter my showgirl era”, which sounds promising. Pray for a front-row clash of the geezer dads between Ray and Danny Dyer. It’ll be like a glittery Guy Ritchie film.
1. Lacey Turner
Swapping doof-doofs for cha-chas is this year’s obligatory EastEnders actor. Turner moved into Albert Square aged 16 as gobby-but-lovable Stacey Slater and stayed on and off for 20 years. She also starred in BBC army drama Our Girl. Having turned Strictly down for the last decade, Turner says it was “about time”. Three former castmates – Jill Halfpenny, Kara Tointon and Rose Ayling-Ellis – have taken the glitterball trophy back to the Queen Vic. Stace is surely in with a shout of making it four. Dot, Dr Legg and Ethel’s little Willy would be proud.
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