melanie walters, Tabby Stoecker has joined Strictly Come Dancing 2026 as the 13th celebrity announced. With only two more celebrity slots left to fill, the cast reveal is now close to complete and the series is moving toward its return later this year.
Tabby Stoecker’s Strictly quote
Stoecker said, "I am over the moon to be joining the cast of Strictly 2026." She added, "I’ve had the wildest year of my life so far, so to be rounding it off with a childhood dream of dancing in the Strictly ballroom is surreal and I can’t wait to get stuck in!"
13 names, 2 still open
Thirteen celebrities are now in the line-up, including Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem, Chris Appleton, Cach Mercer, Will Best, Dame Sarah Storey, Jaime Winstone, Bethany Antonia, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Graeme Hall and Lawrence Robb. The remaining two announcements matter because they will complete the roster before the series returns on One and iPlayer later this year.
Gold medal to ballroom
Stoecker is a Team GB skeleton athlete who won gold at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, and that switch from an elite sliding sport to a ballroom competition gives Strictly Come Dancing 2026 a different kind of draw. She made her international debut in skeleton five years ago, so this is not a novelty booking; it is a move from one high-pressure performance environment into another.
Motsi Mabuse welcomed Stoecker to the Strictly family, while Jaime Winstone left supportive emojis in the comments after the social-media reveal. For viewers, the practical read is simple: the 2026 cast is nearly locked, and the last two names will decide whether the line-up finishes as a broad mix or leans harder into the season’s major refresh.
