Strictly Come Dancing has confirmed a change to its upcoming Christmas special, with former contestants set to return to the ballroom, and fans can now apply for tickets to attend the recording.
The BBC One show's 2026 series is currently in its seventh week, with the next live show taking place on Saturday, November 7. The festive special is filmed during the main competition run before airing on Christmas Day.
Last year's episode marked the final time Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman hosted the programme, airing days after former footballer Karen Carney and pro dancer Carlos Gu were crowned the 2025 series champions. TV personality Scarlett Moffatt won the 2025 Christmas special, lifting the Silver Star trophy alongside professional dancer Vito Coppola after a vote by the studio audience and judges.
Recording Date and New Format
This year's Christmas special will be recorded on December 8. While the celebrity line-up has not yet been announced, it has been confirmed that, in a change from previous episodes, former Strictly stars will be returning to take part.
According to the BBC's 'shows, tours, and take part' website: "Marking the end of the latest incredible series, Strictly Come Dancing returns with a special one-off programme this Christmas, recording in advance on Tuesday 8 December. Six celebs from past series of Strictly will return to the dance floor, competing to become the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas champion for 2026."
How Fans Can Apply for Tickets
Fans can apply for tickets via the BBC's website, where applicants are entered into a random draw. The website states: "As in previous years, we are operating a random draw. You can apply for tickets at any time until 10pm on Tuesday 10 November. You can apply for a maximum of one pair of tickets. Only apply if you intend to be the named ticket holder."
It adds: "If successful, please note that tickets are non-transferable. They cannot be transferred to another date or a person who is not named on the ticket. If you are successful in this year's Strictly random draws you will only receive tickets for one date; anyone who is successful in their application for one of the live shows cannot also be successful in the random draw for the Christmas Special."
Reason Behind the Change
The return of previous contestants for the Christmas special follows the success of the "alumni dance" during last year's Blackpool episode, which saw singers Ashley Roberts and Jay McGuiness, and actors Layton Williams and Danny Mac return for a group performance in the Blackpool Tower ballroom.
