Full Strictly Come Dancing 2026 line up revealed as YouTube star joins EastEnders legend & Kim Kardashian’s BFF on show

STRICTLY Come Dancing’s glittering 2026 line-up can finally be revealed – with a slew of beloved stars set to take to the dancefloor this autumn. The Sun can reveal that YouTube star John Nellis is the final name in a roster of stars, with the Northern Irish lad having racked up more than 15 million subscribers to his football-focused channel. The Sun can reveal this year’s full Strictly line-up Credit: PA A total of 15 stars will be taking to the dancefloor this year Credit: BBC John is expected to be formally annouced this week alongside two other famous faces who The Sun previously confirmed would be going for a spin on the dancefloot. They will join a host of stars from EastEnders legend Lacey Turner, to Love Island winner Dani Dyer, a beloved Gavin and Stacey star and Kim Kardashian’s best friend. Sign up for the TV newsletter Thank you! Dani Dyer Love Island star Dani Dyer will be back on our screens for this year’s series Credit: bbcstrictly/Instagram Dani, 29, was one of the first names to be revealed for the all-new series of Strictly. The Sun exclusively revealed back in May that Dani was tipped to head back to the ballroom after being left devastated at her previous Strictly journey being cut short. The mum-of-three was a contestant in last year’s series but was forced to pull out ahead of the first week of the competition after fracturing her ankle. Dani was paired with professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin in the 2025 series and the duo performed a quickstep together in the first live show before her drop-out. Insiders told us last month that the reality TV star is hoping to be reunited with the pro for this year’s stint. “To get a second chance to appear on Strictly is a dream come true for her,” they said. Most read in TV “The first time around she was paired with Nikita Kuzmin and she hopes she will get him again. “She is determined to get on the dancefloor and show the viewers what she’s made of.” Lacey Turner Stacey Slater star Lacey Turner will jump from Albert Square to the dancefloor this autumn Credit: bbcstrictly/Instagram Stacey Slater actress Lacey Turner was confirmed by the BBC in June after The Sun previously told how she was the first star to be snapped up. Speaking out when she was revealed as a contestant on Strictly, 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!” The Sun first revealed that she had signed for the programme in May. A TV source said: “Strictly bosses are delighted to snap Lacey up for the series, especially as she has such a huge fan base from her time on the soap. “She’s down to earth and viewers will be excited to get to know her personality away from Albert Square. “She has loved having some quality time off screen to focus on parenting, but feels like now is the perfect time to learn to dance and t Chris Appleton Chris is Kim Kardashian’s best friend, who is also a celebrity hairdresser Credit: PA Kim Kardashian‘s bestie Chris Appleton will soon strut his stuff on the iconic ballroom dancefloor when the series kicks off. Sharing a photo of Chris, Strictly revealed the news on Instagram when they said: “He’s worked behind the scenes with some of the world’s biggest stars. “Now it’s @chrisappleton1’s turn to take centre stage.” Speaking about being snapped up by the show, 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.” It was actually Kim who convinced him to appear on the show, with her even said to be keen to support him in the studio audience if the competition goes well for him. Delta Goodrem Eurovision icon Delta will also be dancing up a storm on the series Credit: bbcstrictly/Instagram Fresh from dominating at the Eurovision Song Contest, Delta, 41, will now take to the BBC One dancefloor this autumn. A source told The Sun when we revealed the news: “Bosses really wanted Delta last year but she decided it wasn’t the right time. “After seeing her on Eurovision they doubled their efforts and they are overjoyed Delta has agreed to take part this time. “She was already a huge star in her own right, but after Eurovision she’s become a household name once more.” Melanie Walters Melanie Walters plays Gwen in Gavin and Stacey Credit: Getty Gavin and Stacey star Melanie Walters, who is known for playing Gwen West in the hit BBC series, will also be dancing in this year’s competition. When The Sun first unveiled the news in June, a source said: “Melanie is loved across the country for her role as Gwen. “The Gavin & Stacey Christmas special in 2024 saw millions of fans turning in for the final episode of the series. “BBC bosses are very excited to have landed Melanie given her popularity.” Melanie, from Swansea, also teaches pilates and is a qualified personal trainer. Will Best Big Brother host Will Best will be trying his luck on the dancefloor Credit: PA The BBC competition will be welcoming Big Brother presenter Will Best to the dancefloor for the upcoming series. Confirming the news that he’s joining Strictly, Will said on Instagram: “This is surreal. I am unbelievably excited and more than a little terrified to be able to say, I’m doing Strictly this year! “I’m doing Strictly this year, I can’t believe it. I’m so nervous already but it’s going to be so fun. I love the show and I can’t wait to find out if I can dance. I’ve got no idea! But we can find out together.” Moving around a little while filming himself, Will then joked: “It’s all in the hips, innit? You’ve just got to move. That was bad – what I just did there was bad – I can’t do that. But anyway, thank you for having me, this is going to be amazing.” Cach Mercer Love Island hunk Cach has been confirmed as taking part in Strictly Credit: PA Love Island winner Cach Mercer has bagged a role on this year’s show. Cach won the ITV dating contest last year alongside his now-ex, Toni Laites. 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!” It means Cach is the SECOND Love Island winner on this year’s cast following Dani Dyer‘s reveal. Because he has a background in dance, critics have already slammed the signing. “Such an advantage when they’re already dancers! Extremely fair to the other contestants,” someone raged. Dame Sarah Storey Gold medal-winning Paralympic athlete Dame Sarah Storey will also be competing Credit: PA Britain’s most decorated Paralympian joins the star-studded cast this year, after The Sun first revealed the news in June. Former swimmer Sarah, 48, has won 30 medals, including 19 golds. She was due to take part in ITV’s Dancing on Ice last year but had to withdraw after fracturing her ankle in training. A source told The Sun of her signing: “Sarah is delighted to be taking part in Strictly and is really excited to be learning a new skill. “She is obviously very competitive and hopes to give the contest her all, while letting viewers get to know her personality. “She’s also keen to embrace the glamour of the show and is looking forward to getting dressed up.” Jaime Winstone Jaime Winstone is set to compete in this year’s series Credit: @bbcstrictly/Instagram The TV and film star, 41, has also signed up for the show this year. She is best known for playing Barbara Windsor in a drama about her life and as a young Peggy Mitchell in flashback episodes of EastEnders. A show insider told The Sun before her official reveal: “Bosses will be hoping that Ray will be coming down to the studio to see his daughter dance on more than one occasion – after all he’s a bit of a national treasure. “But they’ll also be praying that he and Danny will be in the audience on the same night, with the front row looking like a gritty Brit flick.” Shaun Wright-Phillips Pundit Shaun Wright-Phillips will be trading the pitch for the dancefloor Credit: @bbcstrictly/Instagram The Sun was first to reveal that the former England, Man City and Chelsea ace was aiming to score with the judges on the new series. A source told us before the line-up was formally confirmed: “Shaun is a well-known name and face to football fans. He played for England in the 2010 World Cup and made lots of appearances in the Premier League. “Strictly bosses are delighted to have landed Shaun as a contestant as footballers always bring a different audience to the show and often prove popular with viewers as underdogs in the competition. “Also the producers are excited that Ian will appear in the studio audience regularly, and will no doubt be full of enthusiasm.” Bethany Antonia Bethany is a surprise addition to the line-up Credit: @bbcstrictly/Instagram House Of The Dragon actress Bethany Antonia is a surprise addition to this year’s line-up. Bethany is known for portraying Lady Baela Targaryen in the Game of Thrones prequel on HBO. The star has also appeared on shows such as Get Even, Nolly, Stay Close, Stath Lets Flats, and Doctor Who. She said of joining the show: “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!” Taking to Instagram to confirm the news in a video, the actress admitted she was ‘terrified’ but can’t wait to join the BBC competition. Graeme Hall Celeb dog trainer Graeme is on the line-up Credit: PA Famous dog trainer Graeme is another well-known face who will be hoping to impress on the ballroom floor. Graeme is known as The Dogfather and fronts Channel 5 show Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly. Announcing the news online, the official Strictly Instagram shared a post which read: “Who’s ready to fetch the Glitterball? Good boy, @dogfather.graeme, welcome to #Strictly!“ Chatting in a video following the announcement, Graeme said: “Come September, you’re gonna see a bit of me on the dancefloor because, yeah, you guessed it, I’m doing Strictly! “How exciting is that? Very, to me. How nervous am I? Very. In fact, all of the emotions, very. But I can’t wait to get started.” Lawrence Robb Lawrence Robb will be taking part in this year’s series of Strictly Credit: PA Soap star Lawrence Robb, who is known for playing Mackenzie ‘Mack’ Boyd in Emmerdale will also be strutting his stuff on the dancefloor this autumn. Lawrence has been a staple on the Dales since 2020 and had fans fearing for his character’s life during an explosive showdown with villain John Sugden last year. Speaking of his decision to hit the dancefloor, Lawrence said in an Instagram video: “Just a little video message to let you guys know that for the next couple of months, alongside strutting my stuff on the Emmerdale fields, I’m going to be strutting my stuff on the dancefloor wearing sequins and wearing dance shoes. “Because as luck would have it, I am doing Strictly Come Dancing. Help, please. Very much looking forward to it, very exciting, but I’m terrified.” John Nellis John Nellis is a YouTuber and footballer obsessive Credit: Getty YouTuber John, 33, hails from Belfast and used to work as an air traffic controller until 2022, before turning his attention to social media. The football obsessive turned his passion for the beautiful game into a fulltime job as a content creator, and his YouTube channel has seen him meet some of the biggest names in footy, including Erling Harland and Kylian Mbappeé. A source said: “John has a huge following online which will boost Strictly’s presence on social media. “He has become loved among all the big names in football and is bound to be a hit with viewers. “Bosses realise that YouTube stars can bring in a whole new audience and John will do just that.” Tabby Stoecker Team GB star Tabby has signed up for Strictly, as previously revealed by The Sun Credit: PA Olympic gold medallist Tabby has signed for Strictly Come Dancing — in the same week she made her Gladiators debut. The 25-year-old Team GB star, who won in the mixed team skeleton at this year’s Winter Games, will start rehearsals for the dance contest in two weeks. A TV insider said: “Signing with two of telly’s biggest shows is hugely prestigious. “It is virtually unprecedented. “It also means that she’ll be on our screens on a Saturday night for almost seven months in a row. “Strictly runs from September to December and Gladiators airs from January and can go on until March. “She’s likely to be invited on the Strictly tour in the new year too — so she’s going to be kept very busy and will see her profile soar.” And of course, the new hosts! Josh Widdicombe, Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe will be hosting Strictly together Credit: PA As 2026 marks the first year without Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman at the helm of the dancing show, it’s only right we give the new trio of hosts a warm welcome. Josh Widdicombe, Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe will be hosting the series this year – and we cannot wait. Additional Reporting – Jack Hardwick, Mollie Quirk, Jake Penkethman, Kenzi Devine Comment now