Big Brother host Will Best could be the dark horse of Strictly Come Dancing 2026, according to Metro columnist Adam Miller, despite a low leaderboard finish after the first live show.
Opening night surprises
The Strictly Come Dancing class of 2026 surprised as they took to the dance floor for the first time on Saturday night. Several stars delivered incredible opening performances, suggesting this could be one of the greatest line-ups ever seen.
Bashful Lacey Turner downplayed her phenomenal talent, proving she can be as good a dancer as she is an actor. Bethany Antonia and her partner Nancy Xu were by far the best same-sex female couple ever seen; football content creator John Nellis topped the leaderboard and moved the nation to tears; and Graeme 'The Dogfather' Hall could well be the next Bill Bailey.
Australian popstar Delta Goodrem, who has been performing hits on stage for over 25 years, proved a sensational dancer. Dani Dyer finally got to show what she had been missing after being forced to drop out of Strictly due to injury last year, coming back with a high-energy and incredibly skillful samba.
Will Best's standout moment
But it was Will Best, who found himself uncomfortably perched at the bottom end of the leaderboard, who Miller thinks could be the dark horse. For Miller, Will captured everything Strictly Come Dancing is about, with genuine enthusiasm, soaking up every moment on the dancefloor and giving that 90-second performance everything he had, even without the God-given talent.
Will was given the daunting honour of opening the show, which is hard enough for any celeb, let alone it being the first dance of Strictly's new chapter with Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe. He strode onto the stage in leather trousers, a black vest and impressive biceps, to Robbie Williams' Rock DJ.
With clunky feet but hips to make Shakira proud, his excitement and love for the show shone through. Despite the several remarkable first dances that followed, it was Will Best and Dianne Buswell's performance that moved Miller the most.
A career of determination
Will, who struggled to get his big break, is one of the best presenters out there. Miller first came across him on T4 – the platform that launched the careers of Nick Grimshaw, Vernon Kay, Jameela Jamil – but it took more than a decade before he earned the same primetime status when ITV relaunched Big Brother in 2023.
He was arguably in his mid-thirties when he genuinely became 'famous,' something Miller believes is a blessing in disguise. Being able to live adult years as a fairly regular person brings a humble warmth. Miller loves that he doesn't take himself too seriously, and that is partly why Will was one of his favourites last night – if not the one he'll be picking up the phone to vote for each week.
Sure, he has more work cut out for him than many other celebs to truly become an incredible dancer, but the long trajectory of his career shows he never gives up – a determination that has made him one of television's brightest presenters. There's something so refreshing about a man who has the charisma, charm and ability to throw himself into something out of his comfort zone with nothing but genuine zeal.
He reminded Miller of former Towie star Pete Wicks, who, against all odds – and with a much less polished brand than Will going into the show – made it all the way to the semi-finals in 2024. Like Pete, Will wasn't up to the calibre of anyone at the top of the leaderboard, but his passion to be there captures what Miller loves about Strictly.
Potential to go far
Will presents the healthiest form of masculinity: a gentle, soft lad without a shred of ego who is seizing the opportunity with everything he has and a sincere want to learn. And Will genuinely had glimmers of real promise too: he had rhythm, drama and a natural energy that could get him so much further in the competition.
His position at 11th on the leaderboard was a totally fair assessment based on talent alone, but Miller doesn't see him staying there for long. Despite a relatively low score and mediocre dancing ability, he could go all the way through sheer warmth, grace and a likeability that money – or dancing talent alone – can't buy.
