Strictly Come Dancing is undergoing the biggest revamp in its history with new hosts and a fresh crop of professional dancers, and the celebrities announced so far are shaping up to be one of the strongest line-ups the show has assembled in years. However, the BBC is not holding up its end, which feels like a disservice to the star-studded cast.
All we’ve gotten so far are a string of low-key announcements arriving sporadically, without warning, without rhythm and, most importantly, without any real sense of occasion. Frankly, fans deserve better.
Traditional reveal was an event
For years, the cast announcement wasn’t just a list of names. It was an event. Traditionally, the celebrities are revealed across just over a week, with viewers eagerly waiting for clues and endless speculation. Some years, the cast reveal has been almost as entertaining as the series itself.
This year, in what I can only assume is an attempt to beat the tabloids to the punch, Strictly began announcing celebrities out of nowhere back in June. EastEnders legend Lacey Turner was first, then Dani Dyer, returning after injury forced her to withdraw just days before last year’s live shows. After her Eurovision disappointment, Delta Goodrem signed up. Since then we’ve had Kim Kardashian’s hairstylist Chris Appleton, Love Island winner Cach Mercer, Big Brother host Will Best, Paralympic cycling legend Dame Sarah Storey and Jaime Winstone.
Staggered announcements lack momentum
On paper, this is one of the freshest, most current and genuinely exciting Strictly casts in years. Yet these announcements have somehow managed to make it feel anything but. One morning you wake up and discover another celebrity has quietly joined the line-up. Another appears a few days later. Then silence. Then another. There’s no momentum, no shared excitement and no sense that each reveal actually matters.
With new hosts Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and former professional dancer Johannes Radebe leading Strictly’s biggest overhaul in decades, this is arguably the programme’s most important relaunch in years. The cast isn’t just another list of celebrities; it’s the BBC’s opportunity to convince viewers that this new era is worth getting excited about.
If there’s another reason for this staggered, stop-start strategy beyond avoiding leaks, I’m struggling to see it. Because when you’ve assembled one of your strongest celebrity casts in years, the announcements shouldn’t simply tell viewers who’s taking part. They should make them desperate to see them.
