Strictly Come Dancing adds five international pros and revamps host lineup for 2026 season

The BBC's flagship entertainment programme Strictly Come Dancing has announced five new professional dancers for its 2026 series. The newcomers are Ukrainian Latin champion Aleksandra Isaeva, Italy's four‑time Latin champion Cristian Priori, South African Latin champion Lethabo Monametsi, UK‑based Maddie Ingoldsby from Bournemouth, and Canadian dancer Mark Karmalita. They will join the returning roster of 14 professionals, including Amy Dowden, Vito Coppola, Nikita Kuzmin and others.

In parallel, the show is overhauling its presenting team. Long‑standing hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will depart and be replaced by a trio of Emma Willis, comedian Josh Widdicombe and professional dancer Johannes Radebe. Several senior pros such as Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk, Karen Hauer, Michelle Tsiakkas and Gorka Márquez have left, while Neil Jones and Nancy Xu will be benched without partners for the upcoming season.

The upcoming cast also features House of the Dragon actress Bethany Antonia, who will compete as a celebrity contestant, adding further star power to the revamp.