Strictly 2026 leaderboard to be revealed as celebrities face the judges for the first time

Strictly Come Dancing is finally getting down to business as this year’s celebrity contestants take to the ballroom for their first live performances.After the couples were paired up during last weekend’s launch show, the 15 celebrities and their professional partners have spent the past week putting their training to the test.Now, they will perform for the first time in front of judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke, with their scores giving fans the first glimpse at who could be in contention this series.This year’s celebrity contestants are set to take to the ballroom for their first live performances.PAThe opening live show will also see the new Strictly presenting team of Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe take charge of the ballroom.Among this year’s cast are EastEnders star Lacey Turner, Love Island star Dani Dyer, Paralympic champion Dame Sarah Storey and actor Bethany Antonia, who is paired with Nancy Xu in the show’s latest all-female partnership.There will be no elimination this weekend, with the scores from the first show carrying over into the following week. But with the celebrities finally facing the judges, the competition is officially underway.Stay tuned for the leaderboard to build during the first live show.