Strictly Come Dancing 2026 is officially underway, with this year’s celebrity and professional couples now revealed.
Fifteen famous faces are taking to the ballroom this year, and they have all been paired with an expert professional dancer.
Tonight, fans got their first Strictly fix of 2026 as the series launched with a glittering opening show.
New hosting trio Emma Willis, Josh Widdecombe and Johannes Radebe also made their presenting debut.
And of course, we can’t forget the judges!
So, who are the Strictly Come Dancing 2026 couples we will be following throughout the autumn?
Who are the Strictly Come Dancing 2026 couples?
All 15 celebrities have now been matched with a professional dancer, including several of the five new professionals joining Strictly this year.
Fans watched the pairings unfold during an entertaining ‘speed dancing’ segment. Everyone learned the same routine before being told to switch partners several times while dancing.
The celebrity’s partner when the music stopped is now their professional partner for the rest of the series.
The Strictly Come Dancing 2026 couples are:
- Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu
- Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby
- Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden
- Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin
- Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington
- Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley
- Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu
- John Nellis and Katya Jones
- Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola
- Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał
- Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec
- Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon
- Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr
- Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita
- Will Best and Dianne Buswell
When you can vote for your favourite Strictly couple
Tonight’s launch show was pre recorded, so fans cannot vote for their favourite couple just yet. If you’ve already picked your favourite, there is still a little wait before voting begins.
The first Strictly Come Dancing 2026 live show airs next Saturday, September 26, 2026. All the couples will take to the ballroom to perform their opening routines.
However, there is no danger of anyone being voted out just yet. Only the judges will vote during the Week 1 live show, and they will carry those scores over to Week 2 on Saturday, October 3.
Then the public vote will finally open. The public vote and the judges’ scores from Weeks 1 and 2 will be combined to determine the first Strictly dance off of 2026.
That will take place during the Sunday October 4 show. We can’t wait!
Read more: Strictly Come Dancing announces brand new spin-off packed with ‘behind the scenes fun’
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