Strictly Come Dancing has confirmed the first two contestants for its 2026 series: EastEnders star Lacey Turner and former Love Island winner Dani Dyer. The BBC show made the early announcement on Wednesday, 10 June, surprising fans by revealing the cast sooner than usual.
Turner, best known for playing Stacey Slater on EastEnders, said she was “so excited” to take part. She took an indefinite hiatus from the soap last year after 21 years on the show. Dyer, who had to withdraw from the 2025 series due to a fractured ankle, returns to the ballroom this September. “I’m just over the moon,” she said.
Further cast announcements are expected over the summer ahead of the show’s September launch. Rumoured contestants include Australian singer Delta Goodrem and food critic Tom Parker-Bowles. All four judges—Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke—will return, while Johannes Radebe has been promoted to co-host alongside Emma Willis and Josh Widdicombe.
