The BBC confirmed on 2 November that Strictly Come Dancing will air a Christmas Special in 2026, with six couples competing for the glittery star-shaped trophy. For the first time in seven years, all participating celebrities will be former Strictly contestants.
The names of the celebrities have not yet been announced, but the BBC is expected to begin releasing them shortly. Last year, Scarlett Moffatt was the first celebrity announced, with the news arriving on 21 November. Many expect this year's lineup to be revealed before the end of the month.
Format and filming details
The celebrities will perform a Christmas-themed routine with a professional partner and take part in the opening and closing group dances. Because the show is not live and is filmed weeks before Christmas Day, the winner will be chosen by a studio audience.
As the show is pre-recorded, often before the main series concludes, the professional dancers involved are typically those without a partner or eliminated early in the competition. These pros include Neil Jones, Alexis Warr, Aljaz Skorjanec, Amy Dowden, Jowita Przystal, Julian Caillon, and newcomers Aleksandra Isaeva, Cristian Priori, and Lethabo Monametsi.
Return to a familiar format
This is not the first time Strictly has featured former contestants in its Christmas special. From 2004 to 2009, each year's special only included celebrities who had already appeared on the show, such as Jill Halfpenny, Natasha Kaplinsky, Zoe Ball, and Mark Ramprakash. The same format was used from 2014 to 2019, but this marks the first time in seven years that the entire Christmas cast consists of returning celebrities.
According to Radio Times, the Strictly team wanted to bring the format back after the success of their 'alumni' dance at Blackpool last year. That special saw former finalists Ashley Roberts, Danny Mac, Layton Williams, and winner Jay McGuinness return for a routine paying homage to their biggest moments on the show.
Jay referenced his Movie Week jive, themed around Pulp Fiction, alongside Jowita, while Ashley performed steps from her jive to Shake a Tail Feather. Danny recreated part of his samba, the first samba to earn a 40 in Strictly history, and Layton danced with his former partner Nikita, revisiting their quickstep.
Last year's Christmas Special was emotional for fans as it was the final episode with Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman hosting. The pair had announced in October that they would leave the show at the end of the year.
