The school run had been its usual scramble, lunchboxes half-packed and someone’s PE kit still damp from yesterday. I dropped the last one at the gate, exhaled, and there it was on my phone: another Strictly announcement. Will Best is doing it. Lacey Turner too. And suddenly the chaos felt a little lighter.
The BBC confirmed the latest batch of celebrities for the 2026 series on 14 July. Alongside names already trailed, we now have Lacey Turner, the actress best known for EastEnders, Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem, Chris Appleton, Cach Mercer and Will Best himself. They will line up with a fresh presenting trio: Emma Willis, comedian Josh Widdicombe and professional dancer Johannes Radebe. The show returns to BBC One and iPlayer in the autumn, the way it always has.
There is something quietly reassuring about it all. In a world of endless scrolling and fragmented attention, Strictly remains one of those programmes the whole family can sit down to on a Saturday night. It celebrates the grind of learning steps, the trust between partners, the small triumphs of posture and timing. No algorithms deciding what you watch next. Just skill, sequins and a shared national rhythm that has run for years.
A mix of familiar talent and new faces
Lacey Turner said she is so excited to be making her way to the dance floor this year. Dani Dyer, who had to pull out of the previous series because of injury, added that she cannot wait to be back in the ballroom come September. Will Best, the television and radio presenter who hosts Big Brother, sounded endearingly honest in his own announcement.
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.
That mix of nerves and delight is what makes the show work. You see it in the celebrities every season: accomplished people stepping far outside their comfort zone, coached by patient professionals who have seen it all. The returning pros include Dianne Buswell, Amy Dowden, Johannes Radebe, Aljaž Škorjanec, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu and Vito Coppola. The judges stay reassuringly steady too, with Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and head judge Shirley Ballas keeping score.
Delta Goodrem brings her singer-songwriter pedigree from Australia, Chris Appleton his reputation as a world-renowned hair stylist, Cach Mercer his Love Island win and mental health advocacy. They join Dani Dyer, the broadcaster and author, and the rest in what feels less like another celebrity vehicle and more like a gentle national tradition. We watch them improve, stumble, laugh at themselves. We vote, we argue with the judges, we remember why live performance still matters.
