OIympic gold medallist Tabby Stoecker joins line-up for Strictly Come Dancing 2026
Tabby Stoecker - who won gold in the skeleton at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games - cannot wait to compete on Strictly Come Dancing from September.
Olympic skeleton champion Tabby Stoecker has joined the line-up for Strictly Come Dancing 2026.
The 25-year-old athlete was crowned victorious in the event at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, and now she is hoping to strike gold when she competes in the BBC show's ballroom from September.
Tabby said: "I am over the moon to be joining the cast of Strictly 2026. 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!"
The double World Championship medallist's signing comes days after it was confirmed that Emmerdale actor Lawrence Robb - who plays Mackenzie "Mack" Boyd in the ITV soap - will be competing on the BBC Latin and Ballroom dance show.
The 34-year-old star said: "I don't know who’s more excited about this, me or my Mother.
"I can't quite believe that I am going to be getting my dancing shoes on this September on one of my favourite shows of all time! It's a dream come true, and I can't wait to bring my all to ballroom.
"Wish me luck, and any advice is very welcome - trust me, I’ll need it!"
So far, Tabby and Lawrence join EastEnders icon Lacey Turner, 38, Neighbours star Delta Goodrem, 41, 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 in competing for the coveted Glitterball Trophy.
Big Brother host Will Best, 41, Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey, 48, Babs actress Jaime Winstone, 41, House of the Dragon's Bethany Antonia, 28, football player-turned-pundit Shaun Wright-Phillips, and dog trainer Graeme Hall, 60, are also taking part.
The BBC will announce more contestants in due course.
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.
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.
