Katya Jones has moved to reassure Strictly Come Dancing fans as the beloved BBC One show prepares for a series of significant changes ahead of its 2026 return. The professional dancer, who is among the returning cast, addressed viewer concerns during an interview at the TRIC Awards.
New Hosts Take the Helm
Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe are set to host the dance competition when it returns in September, marking the first time in the show's history that three presenters will share duties. They take over from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who departed after the 2025 series concluded in December.
Professional Line-Up Shake-Up
Alongside Katya, returning professionals from the 2025 series include Dianne Buswell, Alexis Warr, Amy Dowden, Aljaz Skorjanec, Jowita Przystal, Julian Caillon, Kai Widdrington, Lauren Oakley, Nancy Xu, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Vito Coppola, and Carlos Gu – the latter winning last year's series with former England footballer Karen Carney. However, the BBC has confirmed several exits: Gorka Marquez, Michelle Tsiakkas, Karen Hauer, Nadiya Bychkova, and Luba Mushtuk have left the show. New professionals will be recruited and announced closer to the autumn launch.
Judges and Contestants Remain
The judging panel remains unchanged, with Craig Revel Horwood, Anton Du Beke, Shirley Ballas, and Motsi Mabuse all returning. The 2026 celebrity line-up has already been announced ahead of the September launch.
Katya's Message to Fans
Speaking to Digital Spy at the TRIC Awards, Katya acknowledged the unease surrounding the changes: "Obviously, quite a few things will be different. We're not going to have some of the dancers, we might have some new dancers, we have new presenters. There's not going to be the Claudiatorium because there's no Claudia, so yes, things will be different." She added reassuringly: "However, at its core the show is still the same. We're taking people who can't dance and showing them how to dance. Don't worry everybody, you can still sit down with your family and enjoy the beautiful dancing."
