Strictly Come Dancing's Delta Goodrem has one wish about her professional partner
Delta Goodrem is taking part in the 2026 series of Strictly Come Dancing, which starts in September.
Strictly Come Dancing's Delta Goodrem has one wish about her professional dance partner.
The Neighbours alum - who is 5ft 10in - told The Independent that she is "excited to dive into the Strictly glitz and glamour" from September.
But Delta, 41, admitted that she would "love to be" dancing with someone taller than her because she "doesn’t really want to be the one that has to lift people".
Aljaz Skorjanec, 36, and Kai Widdrington, 30, are the only two professional dancers that are over six feet tall.
The pair will be back on the dance floor with Dianne Buswell, 37, Julian Caillon, 30, Amy Dowden, 35, Katya Jones, 37, Neil Jones, 44, Nikita Kuzmin, 28, Jowita Przystal, 31, Alexis Warr, 26, Nancy Xu, 35, Carlos Gu, 33, Lauren Oakley, 35, and 33-year-old Vito Coppola.
Five new professional dancers have joined Strictly Come Dancing for the 2026 series, after Karen Hauer, 44, Gorka Marquez, 35, Nadiya Bychkova and Luba Mushtuk, both 36, and Michelle Tsiakkas, 30, were axed.
Joining the line-up are British dancer Maddie Ingoldsby - who performed in a special one-off routine on the show with the programme's troupe 10 years ago at the age of just 11 - Ukrainian Aleksandra Isaeva and her dance partner, four-time Italian Latin Champion Cristian Priori, undefeated South African Latin champion Lethabo Monametsi, and Canada's Mark Karmalita.
In June, Delta said she was "thrilled" to be doing Strictly Come Dancing.
The Born to Try singer said: "I’ve been incredibly honoured to perform on many different stages throughout my career - from TV, theatre, film sets, to touring my own shows around the world, there is however one stage I’ve never stepped onto, and that is the ballroom floor!
"I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining Strictly and can’t wait to get started!"
So far, Delta will be joined by EastEnders icon Lacey Turner, 38, Love Island alums Catch Mercer, 25, and 29-year-old Dani Dyer - who withdrew from the 2025 series due to an ankle injury - and 43-year-old celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton.
Big Brother host Will Best, 41, Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey, 48, Babs actress Jaime Winstone, 41, House of the Dragon's Bethany Antonia, 28, and football player-turned-pundit Shaun Wright-Phillips are also taking part.
The BBC will announce more contestants in due course.
As well as five new professional dancers, Strictly Come Dancing 2026 will see Emma Willis, 50, Josh Widdicombe, 43, and 39-year-old Johannes Radebe - who has been a professional dancer on the programme since 2018 - debut as new co-hosts following the exit of Tess Daly, 57, and Claudia Winkleman, 54, at the end of the 2025 series.
Another change to Strictly Come Dancing for 2026 is that its weekday companion show, It Takes Two, has been turned into a videocast, similar to that of The Traitors: Uncloaked.
Fleur East, 38, was dropped and co-host Janette Manrara, 42, decided not to return to It Takes Two.
The Sun on Sunday newspaper recently reported that Fleur and Janette have been replaced by 42-year-old comedienne Ellie Taylor, who came seventh when she competed in the 2022 series of Strictly Come Dancing with Johannes.
