Strictly Come Dancing has announced its sixth contestant for the 2026 series: Will Best, the popular presenter of ITV's Big Brother. The BBC dancing competition is set to return in September, with a lineup that has been gradually revealed over recent weeks.
Will Best's Background and Reaction
Best, who co-hosts Big Brother with AJ Odudu and also presents the Hits Radio Breakfast Show, rose to fame on T4 and has worked on This Morning, BBC Three, and Viva. Speaking about his participation, he said: "I can't quite believe it…I'm doing Strictly! What an absolute dream. Albeit a pretty terrifying one. I've been lucky to do lots of live telly before, but absolutely nothing like this. And I cannot wait! I have no idea if I can actually dance, but bring on the sequins, bring on the quicksteps, bring on the dance floor! I'm going to try to enjoy every minute of it."
Changes to the Show's Format
This year marks significant changes for Strictly. Last year's winner was former footballer Karen Carney with pro dancer Carlos Gu. For the first time, the show will have a hosting trio: Love Is Blind UK's Emma Willis, comedian Josh Widdicombe, and professional dancer Johannes Radebe, replacing Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. The pro dancer lineup has also seen departures, with Karen Hauer, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk, Michelle Tsiakkas, and Gorka Marquez leaving. New professional dancers are expected to be announced soon.
Full Contestant Lineup So Far
The confirmed contestants for 2026 include:
- Lacey Turner (EastEnders icon, best known as Stacey Slater)
- Delta Goodrem (Neighbours actress and Australia's Eurovision entry)
- Chris Appleton (Kim Kardashian's hairstylist)
- Dani Dyer (returning after pulling out due to injury last year)
- Cach Merce (Love Island winner, announced last week)
- Will Best (Big Brother co-host)
Connections Among Contestants
Will Best has notable connections with other contestants: he and Emma Willis have both fronted Big Brother, and when he recently won Celebrity Mastermind, his specialist subject was Dani Dyer's father, actor Danny Dyer.
The BBC has confirmed that further news will be revealed throughout the summer ahead of the new series, which will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer this September.
