Strictly 2026 fans have shared their verdict on the show’s new pairing twist after celebrities and professional dancers were given a very different way of finding out who they would be dancing with.
Rather than revealing the pairings through pre-recorded VTs, the celebrities and professionals discovered their partners while taking part in a group routine during tonight’s launch show.
The celebs found out their pro partners in a new way (Credit: BBC)
Strictly introduces new pairing twist
Strictly Come Dancing introduced a major change to its usual pairing reveal during tonight’s show.
New host Emma Willis explained that the celebrities and professional dancers would perform together in a group routine before finding out which pair they would make for the series.
As they danced, the celebrities and professionals swapped partners.
Then, when Emma gave the signal, whoever the celebrities were dancing with became their partner for the rest of the series.
It was a big change from previous years, when the pairings were revealed in pre-recorded VTs shown during the launch show.
The first five celebrities to discover their partners were Dani Dyer, Jamie Winstone, Melanie Walters, Lacey Turner and Dame Sarah Storey.
Dani was paired with Nikita Kuzmin, Jamie with Carlos Gu, Melanie with Aljaz Skorjanec, Lacey with Vito Coppola, and Sarah with Julian Caillion.
Fans deliver their verdict on new twist
Strictly fans were quick to share their thoughts on the unusual new way of revealing the pairings, with many appearing to love the change.
“This partner swapping thing to choose the pairings is so much fun!! I much prefer this to the pre-recorded VTs,” one fan gushed.
“I am OBSESSED with this new pairings twist already. It’s pure chaos!!!” another wrote.
“Good concept but, that went on a bit and got tad chaotic. Like these pairings though,” a third tweeted.
“Much better than those boring VT pairings,” another fan agreed.
However, the new twist wasn’t a hit with everyone watching at home.
“Didn’t enjoy the swapping partners thing to find the pairings. At all,” one viewer grumbled.
Strictly continues next Saturday (September 26) from 6.15pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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