Strictly Live Show Debut
Strictly Come Dancing launches 2026 live shows with a brand new presenting lineup.
Anonymous
Strictly Come Dancing’s 2026 live shows began with Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe replacing presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. Ahead of the first show, viewers criticized the lineup of 15 celebrity-professional pairs for its lack of variety: nine routines are Latin dances, including four cha-chas, and none is a waltz. Celebrities have two chances to impress the judges in the opening show, with no elimination that week. Announced songs include Bruno Mars’s “I Just Might,” Alice Merton’s “No Roots,” Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know,” and Elton John and Kiki Dee’s “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.”
Key Points
1
The new presenting trio received a mixed reaction after their debut: viewers praised Emma Willis for settling in, while Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe still had to win some fans over.
2
Lacey Turner, Melanie Walters, Graeme Hall and Shaun Wright-Phillips were among the celebrities assigned a cha-cha in the opening week.
3
Emma Willis described hosting her first episode as “like a fever dream,” saying the audience was welcoming and that the experience felt both like the longest and fastest day of her life.
4
The judges for the live competition are Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Anton Du Beke and Motsi Mabuse.
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