Strictly Come Dancing has announced that YouTube star John Nellis will compete on the show this year, but some fans have expressed disappointment with the 2026 line-up.
John Nellis joins Strictly 2026
The football content creator, who has over 20 million followers across social media, will swap his football boots for dancing shoes when the show returns in the autumn. Strictly confirmed the news on Tuesday (August 11) with posts on their social channels.
They wrote: "Social media star @johnnellis has kept his eye on the ball, now all eyes are on his fancy footwork. Welcome to #Strictly, John!"
John's reaction and background
John said: "I'm still in disbelief that I've been selected for Strictly and, if I'm honest, I'm a little nervous as I've never danced before!"
He added: "It's such an incredible opportunity, and I'm going to throw myself into every moment. I can't wait to meet everyone, learn a new skill and, hopefully, be much better at family parties by the end of it!"
John left his job as an air traffic controller to pursue content creation full-time. He has since become one of the leading creators in the sports space, winning Sport Creator of the Year at the 2024 TikTok Awards UK & Ireland. His football videos have featured stars including Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Fans criticise the line-up
Many Strictly fans have criticised this year's line-up online, with some believing it lacks star power. One wrote: "Worst line up in years and I'm normally not the one complaining about the line up!"
Another complained: "Might as well have gone out onto the streets this year with this lineup - it's embarrassingly bad!" A third said: "Strictly is not the same as it used to be. A number of this year's contestants are unrecognisable to the general audience."
Others have defended the cast, with one saying of John: "15.8m subscribers on YouTube, he's not not famous, you just don't know who he is." A second said: "Is there anything this man can't do! Go smash it lad."
Full line-up and new hosts
John will join Olympic gold medallist Tabby Stoecker, Emmerdale star Laurence Robb, EastEnders star Lacey Turner, Eurovision singer Delta Goodrem, Love Island's Dani Dyer, celeb hairstylist Chris Appleton, Love Island's Cach Mercer, Will Best, Olympian Dame Sarah Storey, footballer Shaun-Wright Phillips, actress Jaime Winstone and House of the Dragon actress Bethany Antonia on the upcoming series.
This year's Strictly will be the first without hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly, who announced their departure from the show last year. Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe will now be fronting the show.
