{"id":776428,"date":"2026-09-20T03:46:40","date_gmt":"2026-09-20T03:46:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/776428\/"},"modified":"2026-09-20T03:46:40","modified_gmt":"2026-09-20T03:46:40","slug":"strictly-come-dancing-2026-pairings-bbc-show-announces-couples-for-revamped-series","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/776428\/","title":{"rendered":"Strictly Come Dancing 2026 pairings: BBC show announces couples for revamped series"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Strictly Come Dancing<\/a> kicked off its 2026 series with a launch show like we\u2019ve never seen before<\/a> as its three new hosts \u2013 Johannes Radebe, Emma Willis and Josh Widdicombe \u2013 made their presenting debut. <\/p>\n

With more dancing than ever before, the pre-record officially introduced this year\u2019s intake of celebs, gave fans a taste of the revamped format and most importantly, revealed the pairings for the competition ahead. <\/p>\n

In three months time, one of those couples will be lifting that glitterball trophy after weeks of dance-offs, surprise scores and last minute fake tans but for now, here\u2019s everything you need to know about this year\u2019s pairings. <\/p>\n

Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu<\/p>\n

\"NancyNancy Xu and Bethany Antonia (PA)<\/p>\n

House of the Dragon star Bethany Antonia is in the competition\u2019s only same-sex pairing this year with Chinese dancer Nancy Xu.<\/p>\n

Antonia is best known for playing Lady Baela Targaryen in HBO\u2019s Game of Thrones and for roles in Doctors, Stay Close and Doctor Who. She said ahead of joining Strictly that she grew up watching the show and is \u201cso excited to take the challenge on\u201d.<\/p>\n

Xu joined Strictly in 2019, having previously competed on the Chinese version of So You Think You Can Dance. Since joining the show, she has been paired with four celebrities \u2013 making it the furthest with CBBC presenter Rhys Stephenson, who came in fourth place in 2021.<\/p>\n

Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby<\/p>\n

\"MaddieMaddie Ingoldsby and Cach Mercer (PA)<\/p>\n

Love Island winner Cach Mercer is set to take to the floor with newbie Maddie Ingoldsby, who joined the Strictly professional cast earlier this year.<\/p>\n

Ingoldsby is one of the youngest dancers on the show at 21 and a UK National Ballroom Champion. As a child, she took on acting roles in the 2019 film Last Christmas and in a West End production of Annie.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, 25-year-old Mercer rose to fame last year on Love Island, which he won with now-ex Toni Laites. Since then, he\u2019s built up a following on TikTok, where he frequently posts dance videos. \u201cDancing is a huge passion of mine and I can\u2019t wait to learn ballroom and do the Foxtrot for the first time!\u201d he said after being announced as part of the 2026 cast.<\/p>\n

Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden<\/p>\n

\"ChrisChris Appleton and Amy Dowden (PA)<\/p>\n

Chris Appleton is putting down the scissors and lacing up his ballroom shoes, with the hair stylist set to dance with Amy Dowden. Appleton is a celebrity hair stylist who has worked with the likes of Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Ariana Grande and others. <\/p>\n

Welsh dancer and former British National Latin Champion Dowden, 36, has been on Strictly since 2017 and has been paired with the likes of Brian Conley, JJ Chalmers and Tom Fletcher over the years. She finished in second place with CBBC presenter Karim Zeroual in 2019 and returned to Strictly full time last year after undergoing treatment for cancer in 2023 and 2024.<\/p>\n

Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin<\/p>\n

\"NikitaNikita Kuzmin and Dani Dyer (PA)<\/p>\n

Dani Dyer is back on the Strictly dancefloor after an injury forced her out of the competition<\/a> last year \u2013 and she\u2019s reuniting with Nikita Kuzmin! The 30-year-old, who is the daughter of actor Danny Dyer, won Love Island in 2018 with then-boyfriend Jack Fincham and has since competed on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, Celebrity MasterChef and fronts docuseries The Dyers\u2019 Caravan Park with her famous father. <\/p>\n

Ukrainian dancer Kuzmin has been a Strictly staple since 2021 and has made it to the final twice: with Layton Williams in 2023 and with Amber Davies, Dyer\u2019s replacement, last year. <\/p>\n

Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington<\/p>\n

\"KaiKai Widdrington and Delta Goodrem (PA)<\/p>\n

When asked by The Independent<\/a> earlier this year who she\u2019d like to be paired with on Strictly, Australian singer Delta Goodrem had just one request: \u201cI\u2019d love to have someone taller than me!\u201d It looks like Strictly has delivered in that regard, pairing her up with 6ft2 pro Kai Widdrington. <\/p>\n

Goodrem, who is just shy of 6ft herself, has sold over nine million albums worldwide and just this year, she represented Australia at the Eurovision Song Contest, coming in fourth place. Meanwhile, Widdrington has been a member of the Strictly pro cast since 2021, having moved over from the Irish version of the show. He\u2019s been paired with AJ Odudu, Kaye Adams, Angela Rippon and most recently, Vicky Pattison. <\/p>\n

Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley<\/p>\n

\"GraemeGraeme Hall and Lauren Oakley (PA)<\/p>\n

One of the more surprising additions to the Strictly line-up, dog trainer Graeme Hall is swapping squeaky toys for glitterballs as he\u2019s paired with Lauren Oakley. <\/p>\n

The 59-year-old is best known as the host of Channel 5\u2019s Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly but has also appeared on Celebrity Mastermind, The Chase: Celebrity Special and Jeremy Vine. This time, he\u2019s the one being trained by Oakley \u2013 the Brummie pro who joined the show in 2022. The former Under-21 British National Champion has danced with Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink during her time so far on the show, and stepped in to dance with JB Gill when fellow pro Amy Dowden was forced to withdraw from the competition in 2024. <\/p>\n

Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu<\/p>\n

\"CarlosCarlos Gu and Jaime Winstone (PA)<\/p>\n

Reigning champion Carlos Gu will be coaching actor Jaime Winstone through the competition this year \u2013 so we\u2019re bound to be seeing an EastEnders-themed number at some point. <\/p>\n

Winstone, the daughter of actor Ray Winstone, has spent the last two decades racking up credits in British films \u2013 from Kidulthood to Made in Dagenham \u2013 as well as playing Barbara Windsor in a number of projects, including biopic Babs and flashback episodes of EastEnders. She\u2019ll be dancing with Chinese dancer Gu, who joined the show in 2022 and has since made it to the final twice: first with Molly Rainford and then with Karen Carney, who won last year. No pressure, Jaime! <\/p>\n

John Nellis and Katya Jones<\/p>\n

\"JohnJohn Nellis and Katya Jones (PA)<\/p>\n

Social media personality John Nellis<\/a> has racked up 20 million followers online with his football content, but will he be just as attention-grabbing with his dance moves? Russian dancer Katya Jones is about to find out, with the couple being paired together this year. <\/p>\n

The Northern Irish content creator was an air traffic controller before he left to pursue social media work full time and has since made videos with the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 and Cristiano Ronaldo. He\u2019s in safe hands with Jones, who\u2019s been on Strictly for 10 years and has one win under her belt, having lifted the trophy with actor Joe McFadden in 2017. <\/p>\n

Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola<\/p>\n

\"LaceyLacey Turner and Vito Coppola (PA)<\/p>\n

Lacey Turner is following in the footsteps of her many, many EastEnders colleagues by doing Strictly and luckily, her new pro partner Vito Coppola is used to soap stars by now \u2013 having won in 2023 with Coronation Street\u2019s Ellie Leach. <\/p>\n

Turner, 38, has been an Albert Square staple since 2004, having landed the role of Stacey Slater on the BBC soap at the age of 16. Meanwhile, Italian dancer Coppola has an impressive track record on Strictly, having made it to the final three times since joining the show in 2022. He also won the Italian version of the show in 2021 with singer Arisa. <\/p>\n

Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przysta\u0142<\/p>\n

\"JowitaJowita Przystal and Lawrence Robb (PA)<\/p>\n

Scottish actor Lawrence Robb has been a favourite on Emmerdale since joining to play Mackenzie Boyd in 2020, but can he be a Strictly frontrunner? The answer could be yes, given he\u2019s paired with one-time champion Jowita Przysta\u0142. <\/p>\n

Robb, 34, is best known for his role in the Yorkshire soap but has also appeared in I Hate Suzie and stage productions of Into the Woods, Legally Blonde and Cinderella. As for Przysta\u0142, the Polish former Latin champion \u2013 who competed on The Greatest Dancer before joining Strictly \u2013 lifted the trophy with Hamza Yassin in her first year on the show and has since danced with Pete Wicks, Jody Cundy and Ross King. <\/p>\n

Melanie Walters and Alja\u017e \u0160korjanec<\/p>\n

\"MelanieMelanie Walters and Aljaz Skorjanec (PA)<\/p>\n

Melanie Walters<\/a>\u2019s omelette-making days are officially behind her with Gavin & Stacey having ended in 2024, which means there\u2019s time for a stint on Strictly with long-time pro Alja\u017e \u0160korjanec. <\/p>\n

Welsh actor Walters, 64, has appeared in Coronation Street, Holby City and The Bill but she\u2019s best known for playing Stacey\u2019s mum Gwen in the hit BBC sitcom. She\u2019ll be waltzing into the competition with Yugoslavian dancer \u0160korjanec, who joined the competition in 2013 and has made it to the final three times with Gemma Atkinson, Tasha Ghouri and winner Abbey Clancy. <\/p>\n

Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon<\/p>\n

\"JulianJulian Caillon and Dame Sarah Storey (PA)<\/p>\n

Paralympic cyclist and swimmer Dame Sarah Storey is the proud owner of 19 gold medals but she\u2019s now seeing whether she could add the glitterball trophy to her collection. <\/p>\n

This year, she\u2019ll be dancing with Australian pro Julian Caillon, who joined the show last year after spending three years on the show\u2019s Aussie version. He was paired with Balvinder Sopal in the last series, with the duo making it to fourth place. This time, he\u2019s paired with one of Great Britain\u2019s most successful Paralympic athletes of all time, with Storey having won six World Championships for swimming and 23 for cycling and holding 75 world records. <\/p>\n

Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr<\/p>\n

\"ShaunShaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr (PA)<\/p>\n

Shaun Wright-Phillips is swapping the football pitch for Strictly\u2019s ballroom floor and the former winger is partnered with American pro Alexis Warr. <\/p>\n

The son of ex-England international Ian Wright, Wright-Phillips played for England from 2004 until 2010 as well as Manchester City, Chelsea, Queens Park Rangers and the New York Red Bulls before leaving football in 2017. Meanwhile, Warr joined Strictly last year, securing second place with social media star George Clarke. <\/p>\n

Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita<\/p>\n

\"MarkMark Karmalita and Tabby Stoecker (PA)<\/p>\n

British skeleton racer Tabitha Stoecker won\u2019t be the only one new to Strictly in her partnership, with the 25-year-old paired with newbie Mark Karmalita. <\/p>\n

The Canadian Championship winner has made his TV debut with the Strictly launch show, having joined the cast after a career in competitive Latin ballroom dancing. As for Stoecker, sports fans will already know that she\u2019s an Olympic champion in skeleton racing, having taken home gold at the Winter Games this year. <\/p>\n

Will Best and Dianne Buswell<\/p>\n

\"WillWill Best and Dianne Buswell (PA)<\/p>\n

Will Best has to be one of the busiest men in TV at the moment, with the presenter hosting the current series of Big Brother and tackling Strictly. Luckily for him, he\u2019s been partnered with longtime pro Dianne Buswell, who\u2019s spent almost 10 years in the cast. <\/p>\n

Best, 41, started out presenting T4 on the Beach for Channel 4 as well as the short-lived ITV talent show Dance Dance Dance before hosting ITV\u2019s revival of Big Brother with Strictly alumni AJ Odudu. Australian dancer Buswell joined the show in 2017, having previously competed on Dancing with the Stars in her home country. She went on to win Strictly with comedian Chris McCausland in 2024 and has made it to the final with EastEnders\u2019 Bobby Brazier and her now-partner Joe Sugg. <\/p>\n

Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":776429,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[96,183719,172742,391,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-776428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-entertainment","tag-pa2026","tag-strictly-come-dancing-2026","tag-tv","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/776428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=776428"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/776428\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/776429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=776428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=776428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=776428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}