Strictly Come Dancing's 2026 series goes live for the first time this Saturday night (September 26), with 15 new couples taking to the dance floor. The pre-recorded launch episode aired last weekend on BBC One and revealed the pairings for the new series.
Launch episode draws 5.8 million viewers
A peak of 5.8 million viewers tuned into the launch show on Saturday, September 19. The episode also introduced new hosts Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe, who replace long-time presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who stepped down last year.
The first live show will air at 6.15pm on BBC One and iPlayer. It will open with a group number from the hosts, professionals and judges, set to an orchestral version of Joy by Raye.
Meet the 2026 couples
The celebrity contestants and their professional partners for this year's series are:
- Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu
- Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby
- Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden
- Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin
- Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington
- Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley
- Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu
- John Nellis and Katya Jones
- Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola
- Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał
- Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec
- Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon
- Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr
- Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita
- Will Best and Dianne Buswell
Week one songs and dances
The week one song and dance list for each couple is as follows:
- Bethany and Nancy – Quickstep to Stop This Flame by Celeste
- Dani and Nikita – Samba to Lush Life by Zara Larsson
- Delta and Kai – Samba to Baianá by Barbatuques
- Jaime and Carlos – Tango to I Feel Love by Donna Summer
- Lacey and Vito – Cha Cha to How Will I Know by Whitney Houston
- Melanie and Aljaž – Cha Cha to Don’t Go Breaking My Heart by Elton John and Kiki Dee
- Dame Sarah and Julian – Quickstep to C’est Magnifique by Kay Starr
- Tabby and Mark – Jive to Animal by KATSEYE
- Cach and Maddie – Quickstep to I Just Might by Bruno Mars
- Chris and Amy – Tango to No Roots by Alice Merton
- Graeme and Lauren – Cha Cha to Hound Dog (Smokey Joe's Café version)
- John and Katya – Foxtrot to Ordinary by Alex Warren
- Lawrence and Jowita – Paso Doble to Aperture by Harry Styles
- Shaun and Alexis – Cha Cha to Lil Boo Thang by Paul Russell
- Will and Dianne – Samba to Rock DJ by Robbie Williams
