15 Dancers Return in Strictly Come Dancing 2026 Lineup
The strictly come dancing 2026 lineup is taking shape with 15 returning professional dancers and the judging panel set for the 24th series. The and Studios have set autumn 2026 as the return window for the show on One and iPlayer.
That gives the programme an early reset point after a latest series that averaged 7.8 million viewers on 28-Day BARB 4-Screens and drew 8.6 million to the Grand Final, where Karen Carney and Carlos Gu lifted the Glitterball Trophy. For a title that remains the 's biggest Entertainment show for viewer hours, locking in the core on-screen roster this far ahead is a clear signal of how central the brand still is to the schedule.
15 returning professionals
Dianne Buswell, Julian Caillon, Amy Dowden, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Jowita Przystał, Johannes Radebe, Aljaž Škorjanec, Alexis Warr, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley and Vito Coppola are all back for the 2026 series. New professional dancers will join them, with their names to be set out closer to the show's return.
Alexis Warr arrived in 2025, partnered George Clarke and reached the final. Aljaž Škorjanec brings a different kind of weight: he won with Abbey Clancy in his debut series in 2013, returned in 2024 after a two-year hiatus, and now remains part of the dance floor line-up as the series heads into its 24th run.
Craig, Motsi, Anton and Shirley
Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Shirley Ballas will make up the judging panel again. Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment at the, commissioned Strictly Come Dancing, and the broadcaster has also set out that new hosts, the new professional dancers and the celebrity cast will be announced in due course.
The 2026 package also keeps the format pieces that matter to returning viewers and production planning. Movies, Icons, Halloween and Musicals are all on the themed-week list, the Instant Dance challenge is back after debuting in 2025, and the annual visit to Blackpool Tower Ballroom returns as well.
Autumn 2026 on One
One and iPlayer now have the skeleton of a 24th series in place, with the biggest unanswered pieces still reserved for later reveals. For viewers, the takeaway is practical: the familiar judges and 15 named professionals are locked, but the celebrity pairs and new arrivals will define how much of the 2026 competition feels like continuity and how much feels like a reset.
