Strictly Come Dancing 2026: Who are the 15 celebrity pairings dancing in tonight’s live show?

If Strictly Come Dancing and It Takes Two aren’t enough to satisfy your ballroom cravings, you’ll be delighted to know another spin-off show is on the way.

Fronted by comedian Abi Clarke and Strictly alum Tyler West, who competed in the 2022 series, Strictly: Lights Up will be available on BBC iPlayer after each Sunday’s results show and feature “immediate reactions from the night’s eliminated couple [and] their dance-off opponents – plus the judges, hosts, other Strictly stars and studio guests”.

And if that wasn’t enough, BBC also revealed plans for a special “Strictly hub” on iPlayer, where fans will be able to enjoy additional exclusive content.

Dare I say, it sounds like too much Strictly?

From Cha Chas to Charlestons, Tangos to Sambas, here what to expect from tonight’s two-and-a-half-hour episode…

• Bethany & Nancy – Quickstep to Stop This Flame by Celeste
• Dani & Nikita – Samba to Lush Life by Zara Larsson
• Delta & Kai – Samba to Baianá by Barbatuques
• Jaime & Carlos – Tango to I Feel Love by Donna Summer
• Lacey & Vito – Cha Cha to How Will I Know by Whitney Houston
• Melanie & Aljaž – Cha Cha to Don’t Go Breaking My Heart by Elton John and Kiki Dee
• Dame Sarah & Julian – Quickstep to C’est Magnifique by Kay Starr
• Tabby & Mark – Jive to Animal by KATSEYE
• Cach & Maddie – Quickstep to I Just Might by Bruno Mars
• Chris & Amy – Tango to No Roots by Alice Merton
• Graeme & Lauren – Cha Cha to Hound Dog (Smokey Joe’s Café version)
• John & Katya – Foxtrot to Ordinary by Alex Warren
• Lawrence & Jowita – Paso Doble to Aperture by Harry Styles
• Shaun & Alexis – Cha Cha to Lil Boo Thang by Paul Russell
• Will & Dianne – Samba to Rock DJ by Robbie Williams

Nerves are high all-around tonight, with new host Josh Widdicombe admitting that he is “terrified” at the prospect of filming his first live show. Times like these, I imagine it is nice to have not just one but two other co-hosts to lean on.

Johannes Radebe spills the beans on how he landed the coveted Strictly hosting gig after being asked to audition by a Strictly producer…

“I was like, ‘Johannes, the thought of even saying yes to this opportunity – who the hell do you think you are?’” he says. “But they said, ‘We fully understand you’re not a broadcaster or presenter. We know you are somebody who understands the fabric of the show. You love the show and we will guide you.’ If I didn’t have that conversation with him, I wouldn’t have even said yes to that chemistry test. But I also thought… nothing ventured, nothing gained. If anybody else had this opportunity, they would grab it with both hands, right? So why not me?”

Read the full interview below…

ICYMI: Watch the moment the Strictly celebrity pairings were revealed

As someone who grew up in Australia with “Innocent Eyes” on repeat, I find myself rooting for pop star Delta Goodrem this season.

I had the chance to speak with Delta earlier this year – and she told me the only thing she was after in her professional partner was someone taller than her, and it seems she got her wish. At 6ft 2in, Kai is a full three inches taller than Delta’s 5ft 10in.

Among the unfamiliar faces this season are five new professional dancers who will be joining the 2026 edition of Strictly.

Maddie Ingoldsby, Aleksandra Isaeva, Mark Karmalita, Lethabo Monametsi, and Cristian Priori will be joining the BBC dancing competition this year, replacing outgoing pros Nadiya Bychkova, Karen Hauer, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, and Michelle Tsiakkas.

Here’s everything we know about the newcomers…

Rachel, our resident Strictly expert, was thrilled to see TV’s most glittering, sequinned show return to screens last week – though even she had her concerns…

Here’s Rachel’s mini-review from last week. Do you agree?

That was a lot of fun, wasn’t it? Given that tonight’s show was pre-recorded, it didn’t really give us a proper picture of how the new hosts will do. But I feel like they’re off to a good start! Emma Willis is undoubtedly doing the heavy lifting, but that makes sense as she is the presenter with the most experience.

At times, when the three of them were all together, it did feel a little crowded – but there is more than enough presenting to go around, so hopefully they manage to divvy up the jobs correctly.

And the pairings, as usual, seem very well matched. I think I’m most excited to see Nancy and Bethany as this year’s same-sex pairing, and I love Lacey and Vito.

See the full list of pairings below. Remember, it takes two to tango…

• 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

Hello and welcome to The Independent’s live blog for tonight’s episode of Strictly Come Dancing. Amid all the recent changes to the show’s line-up and the format, you’d be right to double check the episode’s start time.

Viewers can tune into Strictly on BBC One at 6.15pm, with the extra-long episode due to run for a mammoth two and a half hours.