The first live show of Strictly Come Dancing 2026 aired on Saturday, September 26, with all 15 celebrities performing in front of the judges for the first time.
New hosts Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe presented the episode, which saw the couples take to the dance floor with full routines.
Opening Performances
Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin danced a samba to Zara Larsson's Lush Life, Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu performed a quickstep to Stop This Flame by Celeste, and Dianne Buswell and Will Best delivered a samba to Rock DJ by Robbie Williams.
EastEnders star Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola also performed, alongside Gavin And Stacey actress Melanie Walters with Aljaz Skorjanec and Love Island winner Cach Mercer with Maddie Ingoldsby.
Week One Leaderboard in Full
- 1. John and Katya - 31
- 2. Delta and Kai - 29
- 3. Lacey and Vito - 27
- 4. Bethany and Nancy - 26
- 5. Graeme and Lauren - 24
- 6. Dani and Nikita - 22
- 6. Tabby and Mark - 22
- 7. Jaime and Carlos - 21
- 8. Lawrence and Jowita - 20
- 8. Cach and Maddie - 20
- 9. Will and Dianne - 18
- 10. Chris and Amy - 16
- 11. Melanie and Alijaz - 15
- 11. Shaun and Alexis - 15
- 11. Sarah and Julian - 15
The night featured glitz, entertainment and some harsh judges comments, with John and Katya finishing at the top of the board after the first show.
