Olympic gold medallist Tabitha “Tabby” Stoecker is the thirteenth celebrity announced for Strictly Come Dancing 2026.
Stoecker, 25, a skeleton racer, most famously won gold at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. She is also a World Cup race winner, a double World Championship medallist and a European Championship medallist.
Stoecker's reaction
Speaking about joining the BBC show, she said: “I am over the moon to be joining the cast of Strictly 2026.
“I’ve had the wildest year of my life so far, so to be rounding it off with a childhood dream of dancing in the Strictly ballroom is surreal and I can’t wait to get stuck in!”
Announcement and lineup
The news of her joining the cast was shared on the Strictly Come Dancing Instagram account with the message: “The skeleton is out of the closet! Gliding into Strictly, it’s Olympic gold medallist @TabbyStoecker!”
Strictly Come Dancing judge Motsi Mabuse commented on the post and wrote: “Welcome” along with fire and heart emojis.
Stoecker joins Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem, Chris Appleton, Cach Mercer, Will Best, Dame Sarah Storey, Jaime Winstone, Bethany Antonia, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Graeme Hall and Lawrence Robb in the 2026 line-up.
New hosts and professionals
The upcoming series of the BBC show will be hosted by three new faces – broadcaster Emma Willis, professional dancer Johannes Radebe and comedian Josh Widdicombe.
They will replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who announced they were leaving the show late last year.
The BBC has also confirmed five new professional dancers are joining the show this year: Aleksandra Isaeva, Cristian Priori, Lethabo Monametsi, Maddie Ingoldsby and Mark Karmalita.
The new series will premiere on Saturday September 19 on BBC One.
