Graeme Hall, the dog trainer known as The Dogfather, is set to take part in Strictly Come Dancing 2026, partnered with professional dancer Lauren Oakley. He described joining the BBC series as a “dream come true”.
Hall said: “I have watched the show for years, so to be a part of it feels like a very exciting challenge, albeit more than a bit nerve-wracking! I can't wait to get started. Bring it on!”
Who is Graeme Hall?
Hall is a dog trainer best recognised for presenting the Channel 5 series Dogs Behaving Badly and its follow-up Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly. In both shows, he travels across the country to meet dogs with bizarre, extreme and overwhelming behavioural issues to see if he can help them.
He is also an author, podcaster and hosts The Dog Hospital with Graeme Hall, which began airing on Channel 5 in 2023.
Unexpected career
Born in Selby, North Yorkshire in 1966, Hall studied Spanish at the University of Hull before joining Weetabix on a graduate scheme, where he spent 21 years. He was made redundant in 2007 and planned to move into management consultancy when his two Rottweilers, Axel and Gorden, changed his path.
While taking them to training classes, the head trainer suggested he become a dog trainer as he was good with “people and dogs”. The following year, in 2008, he set up his own business, The Dogfather.
Dancing experience and health setbacks
Although Hall has never danced professionally, he previously competed in amateur ballroom and Latin competitions. He took up dancing as a hobby after a charity contest called Strictly Northampton in 2012 and competed in the Over 35s Intermediate CJ Latin competition.
He gave up dancing after suffering a stroke in 2019, which led doctors to discover a hole in his heart requiring surgery. He commented: “I was out of action for quite a while and I thought it had brought an end to my dancing. If you’d told me in 2019 that I was going to take part in the show I would have dismissed you as a fantasist.”
Hall also nearly lost the full use of his hand after a home visit to train a dog. He told the Daily Express: “A German Shepherd I went to see four years ago had been re-homed, and was barking very aggressively. They brought him in to see me and he just went for my left hand. He bit hard, at the same time the owner pulled on the lead. The effect was to rip it [my hand]. It was off to A&E. I ended up in the operating theatre. The bites just missed a tendon and nerve and I nearly lost the full use of that hand. It was a close call. That really made me think differently and I will now put a muzzle on the dog, but I still get little bites here and there.”
Personal life
Little is known about Hall’s private life, but he resides in Oxfordshire with his partner Nikki. He was previously married to accountant Elino Perry-Hall, whom he wed in Sri Lanka in 2017, before separating in 2023. They have no children.
Strictly Come Dancing continues every Saturday on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
