Fans of the danceshow have taken to social media to share their early favourites to win the Glitterball
Strictly Come Dancing 2026 has officially begun(Image: BBC)
Strictly Come Dancing has officially returned to our television screens in a whirlwind of glitter and sequins – and fans appear to have already decided which couple could go all the way.
The BBC dance show is back for a brand-new series, with 15 celebrities swapping their day jobs for dancing shoes as they prepare to battle it out for the coveted Glitterball Trophy. This year they include Gavin and Stacey legend Melanie Walters.
Also among this year’s line-up are EastEnders star Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem, Chris Appleton, Cach Mercer, Will Best, Dame Sarah Storey, Jaime Winstone, Bethany Antonia, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Graeme Hall, Lawrence Robb, Tabby Stoecker and John Nellis.
And although the launch show is still underway, social media users have wasted little time sharing their early favourites, as one pairing in particular has already captured the imagination of viewers, with Lacey Turner and professional dancer Vito Coppola receiving a flood of support. Get all the latest Strictly news here.
The 38-year-old actress has been paired with Vito, who has quickly established himself as one of the show’s most successful professionals since joining Strictly in 2022. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter
Vito has twice finished as a runner-up and lifted the Glitterball Trophy with Coronation Street star Ellie Leach, making his partnership with Lacey one that has already generated plenty of excitement.
Taking to X, one person wrote: “Manfiesting Lacey & Vito as #strictly winners 2026″, while another wrote: “LACEY TURNER AND VITO COPPOLA THAT GLITTERBALL SHALL BE YOURS #Strictly“.
A third fan shared: “Lacey Turner’s coming for that glitter ball!!!!!!! #Strictly“
A fourth added: “Lacey and Vito is such a winning pair omg #strictly“
Lacey, 38, is famed for playing Stacey Slater in EastEnders since 2004, and has admitted to feeling anxious about one behind-the-scenes detail – getting glammed up.
Asked how she feels about joining Strictly, Lacey said: “I’m actually most looking forward to the training. I think that I will enjoy that bit of it the most, and meeting everybody else.
“I’m obviously most terrified about the live Saturday nights and sitting in the makeup chair for that long; I’m not very good at that. I’m going to try my best and work on my patience.”
Meanwhile Strictly fans have called out an ‘unfair advantage’ as Dani Dyer was paired with Nikita Kuzmin once again.
