Strictly Come Dancing launched its 2026 season with three new presenters, five new professional dancers and a speed-dating-style pairing routine, because British television has decided the calmest way to manage change is to put all of it under sequins at once.
Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe replaced longtime hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. Fifteen celebrity contestants met their professional partners during a reworked group dance filmed before a studio audience.
The lineup changed without abandoning the ballroom
Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu formed the show’s third all-female pairing. The professional roster also added five dancers after the departures of familiar names including Karen Hauer and Gorka Márquez.
Early audience favorites included Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem and Cach Mercer. Reigning champions Karen Carney and Carlos Gu returned for an encore, while bandleader Dave Arch finally received the sort of visible appreciation usually reserved for people wearing considerably more rhinestones.
The rebooted format still has familiar pressure
Viewer reaction mixed enthusiasm for the new energy with some uncertainty about the three-host arrangement. The judging panel and the program’s signature themed weeks remain.
The Guardian covered the September 19 launch show. Live competition begins next Saturday.
Long-running entertainment survives by changing enough to feel awake without making viewers ask where the furniture went. Strictly has moved several sofas, added more glitter and invited Britain to decide whether three hosts can share one cue card.
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