BREAKING – The Strictly dancers returning to the fold following a mass bloodbath – plus the new faces this season, have been revealed as well as some brand-new theme weeks
Returning Strictly pros have been announced for the new season
Strictly Come Dancing 2026 is back this autumn – and the dancers for this year’s extravaganza following quite a mammoth year of huge shake-ups has finally been revealed.
Returning to the dance floor later this year are: new mum 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.
In addition to the returning Pros, there will be brand new professional dancers joining the line-up in 2026 – the BBC has said they will be confirmed closer to the return of the show as the 24th series hits our screens in September.
New mum Dianne Buswell will be back on the dancefloor(Image: Joe Sugg Instagram)
CBB star Nikita Kuzmin will also return
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Back once again for the new series will be an unchanged judging panel – Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Head Judge Shirley Ballas who will be casting a watchful eye over the performances each week, giving their expert view on the dances and delivering their all-important scores.
And the much-loved themed weeks will return too, including Movies, Icons, Halloween and Musicals plus the Instant Dance challenge, following its high-energy debut in 2025.
One of the most iconic milestones of the series, which has been a telly favourite now for two decades, the annual visit to the iconic Blackpool Tower Ballroom, will also remain a highlight of the show.
Last year, 8.6m viewers tuned into the Grand Final to see Karen Carney and her professional partner Carlos Gu lift the Glitterball Trophy. But this year, it will all look very different.
Tess and Claudia’s replacements – as well as the new pros – are yet to be revealed(Image: PA)
As well as welcoming back some familiar faces in terms of pros and judges, we will have some brand-new hosts after the shock departure of Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly.
The big announcement on who will take over the mantel is thought to be imminent, with hot favourites including Rylan and Zoe Ball.
There will also be some brand-new professional dancers, following a series of shock departures in recent months. The latest was Spanish pro and huge viewer favourite Gorka Marquez.
While other pros were reportedly ‘axed’ amid a huge shake-up by BBC bosses, it’s believed Gemma Atkinson’s other half made the decision to walk away himself.
Gorka’s shock departure joins the likes of other beloved dancers who won’t be back – including Luba Mushtuk, Michelle Tsiakkas, Karen Hauer and Nadiya Bychkova.
Nadiya has been part of the pro line-up since 2017, having been paired with the likes of Dan Walker, Davood Ghadami, David James and, most recently, Chris Robshaw.
Nadiya was just one of the much-loved pros who revealed she was leaving(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Ray Burmiston)
The longest-serving female pro, Karen Hauer, also announced her shock exit from the show(Image: BBC/Ray Burmiston)
Karen Hauer was the longest-serving female pro in the show’s history. She confirmed a BBC Strictly statement about her exit in her own emotional social media post, in which she wrote,
“After 14 years on Strictly Come Dancing, I’ve decided this is the right time for me to close this chapter and take on new projects in other areas that I’m passionate about.”
She continued: “Strictly completely changed my life, not only as a performer and a teacher, but as a human being. I’ve had the privilege of meeting so many incredible people and brilliant celebrity partners who have become close friends and people I admire so much.
“None of this would have been possible without the amazing fans. You’ve been there since day one when I just moved to the UK and had no idea what I was getting myself into. I’m so grateful you watched me grow over the years and witnessed all of my different hairstyles!”
