Strictly Come Dancing viewers were left divided as the 2026 launch show introduced this year's couples with a new format that many branded 'pure chaos'.
The BBC dance competition returned on Saturday with three new hosts after Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman stepped down last year. Emma Willis took to the stage alongside Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe as 15 celebrities discovered their professional partners.
New pairing format unveiled
In a major change, the celebrities met their partners for the first time on the dancefloor during a group dance, rather than in a separate pre-recorded video. The first group dance saw actress Lacey Turner pair up with Vito Coppola, Reality TV star Dani Dyer with Nikita Kuzmin, Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey with Julian Caillon, Actress Jaime Winstone with Carlos Gu, and TV and stage actress Melanie Walters with Aljaž Škorjanec.
Fans react to the chaos
Those watching at home were split by the change, with many loving the new addition but calling it 'chaos'. @autismgrowingup wrote: "Loving everything so far!! Love the couples switch up, presenters are doing great with the amount of pressure they're under, more of Johannes than normal! I'm happy!!"
@thatRobster said: "This is actually a really fun way to reveal the couples", while @BeckyTheStan wrote: "I loved this speed dancing intro to couples. So much fun." @missyoumuch added: "I love the way they are doing the couples this year!!!", and @chasinthewaves said: "This format of pairing the couples feels like a game of pass the parcel and i'm kinda obsessed."
@KathrynAnneTM remarked: "Much better than those boring VT pairings." Meanwhile, @_erinz_ wrote: "This partnering dance is absolute chaos but SO fun!!!", and @RyanSoapKing25 said: "I am OBSESSED with this new pairings twist already. It's pure chaos!!!" @mebecauseofgu added: "This launch format is chaos but i'm so here for it!!!!"
Line-up and new professionals
This year's star-studded line-up included the likes of Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem, Chris Appleton, Cach Mercer, Will Best, Jaime Winstone and Dame Sarah Storey. Five new professional dancers are also joining the show this year: Aleksandra Isaeva, Cristian Priori, Lethabo Monametsi, Maddie Ingoldsby and Mark Karmalita.
