Strictly Come Dancing star Graeme Hall is set to return to the BBC ballroom seven years after a health setback forced him to stop dancing. The professional dog trainer, 59, was rushed to hospital in 2019 after suffering a stroke, where doctors discovered a hole in his heart that required surgery.
Recovery and return to dancing
During his recovery, Hall feared his dancing days were over after falling in love with the sport and competing in several small competitions. He told The Sun at the time: "I'd done a local competition called Strictly Northampton in 2012 and loved it so much that I carried it on as a hobby."
The broadcaster went on to compete in regional events held in church halls and community centres, but was forced to stop after his stroke. He confessed: "I was out of action for quite a while, and I thought it had brought an end to my dancing."
Back on the dance floor
Seven years on, Hall, best known for his role on Channel 5's Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly, is returning to the infamous ballroom in this year's line-up. He is now fully recovered and preparing to make his dancing debut on the BBC stage this autumn.
He reassured fans: "I'm fine now, but I had to put my dance bag away - now I've got it out of the loft and there's all my kit and practice trousers, so I will be using those soon."
Previous heart-related withdrawals
Hall isn't the first contestant to suffer setbacks due to heart troubles. In 2021, comedian Robert Webb was forced to withdraw mid-competition from the 19th series after experiencing symptoms during training. In a 2025 interview, Webb said he accepted the Strictly offer because "these opportunities don't come along very often."
He went on: "And I'd just nearly died, so I thought, 'This is no time to be sitting on the edges. Why don't you contribute and participate?'" Although Webb was in "quite good shape" in theory, the actor struggled to keep up with the show's intense training schedule. Webb admitted: "That schedule is law unto itself, and I just wasn't anywhere close to being able to do that. I don't even know if I could now. I don't think it'd be a very good idea."
This year's line-up
Strictly is set to return to the airwaves next month with its pre-recorded launch episode, in which the celebrities will be paired with their professional partners. When asked about which partner he could be coupled up with, Graeme chuckled: "I don't care which pro dancer I get because the bottom line is they are all brilliant."
Hall is set to take to the stage alongside his fellow contestants, including actor Lacy Turner, singer Delta Goodrem, TV personality Dani Dyer, actor Jamie Winstone and footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips. Also joining them are celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton, Love Island star Cace Mercer, TV presenter Will Best, and House of the Dragon star Bethany Antonia. Following behind them are Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey, Winter Olympic gold medalist Tabby Stoecker, Emmerdale's Lawrence Robb and football content creator John Nellis.
Strictly Come Dancing returns to our screens on Saturday, September 19 at 6:30pm.
