Strictly host Emma Willis has not heard of some contestants taking part in the 2026 series
Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe are presenting the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing, where 15 celebrities will be competing for the coveted Glitterball Trophy.
Emma Willis has not heard of some of the celebrities taking part in the 2026 series of Strictly Come Dancing.
Some fans of the BBC's Latin and Ballroom dance show have bemoaned the lack of big names ahead of its launch on September 19, with bosses prioritising stars with large social media followings in a bid to attract younger viewers.
And Emma, 50, who is presenting Strictly Come Dancing alongside Josh Widdicombe, 43, and Johannes Radebe, 39, after Tess Daly, 57, and 54-year-old Claudia Winkleman's exits last December, had to research some contestants to get familiar with them.
Emma told The Sunday Times Style: "There are a couple I haven't heard of, but then I looked and was like, 'Oh, a football guy, that isn't really my bag.'
"It's good we're bringing people in. We need to take into consideration there are so many different mediums now, and you've got to appeal to multi-generations.
"If it was all people maybe our generation knew, then kids would be like, 'I don't know who they are.'"
Celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton, 43, who boasts over a million Instagram followers, football content creator John Nellis, 33, who has combined audience of more than 20 million followers across social media, and dog trainer Graeme Hall, 59, who has over 160,000 Instagram followers, are some of the names taking to the dance floor this year.
They will be joined by EastEnders icon Lacey Turner, 38, Neighbours alum Delta Goodrem, 41, Love Island alums Cach Mercer, 25, and 30-year-old Dani Dyer - who withdrew last year due to an ankle injury - and 41-year-old Big Brother host Will Best.
Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey, 48, Babs actress Jaime Winstone, 41, football player-turned-pundit Shaun Wright-Phillips, 44, and House of the Dragon's Bethany Antonia, 28, have also signed up.
Completing the line-up are Emmerdale actor Lawrence Robb, 34, Olympic skeleton gold medallist Tabby Stoecker, 25, and 64-year-old Gavin and Stacey star Melanie Walters.
Last month, it was reported that the BBC struggles to attract big-name celebrities these days, because the landscape has changed.
A source told The Sun newspaper: "Although your traditional Strictly audience might not know who some of the signings are, that’s not as important as bringing in new viewers who are more than familiar with them.
"Their followers are vast in numbers, enthusiastic, and, by sharing content on Strictly, raise the profile of the show massively.
"And, in time, the viewers who don’t know these people get to know them. If anything, they end up going on much more of a ‘Strictly Journey’ than the stars you’d describe as ‘household names’."
The insider continued: "Crucially, the pipeline that used to feed these big shows has changed.
"Boyband and girlband stars aren’t as prevalent any more and, once upon a time, getting someone from a soap or a big drama was a massive deal, but now even that has diminished somewhat.
"There are so many TV shows across various channels and streamers, and even the big shows don’t get the same viewing figures that they might have when Strictly started.
"Now, though, social media is continuing to boom, and big stars from the world of TikTok, YouTube and Instagram are known to a vast section of society."
Strictly bosses are aware of the sea-change taking place, and they do not want the long-running BBC show to be left behind.
The source added: "There’s a sea-change taking place and Strictly doesn’t want to go against the tide. It can’t afford to."
Strictly Come Dancing begins with the pre-recorded launch show on September 19, where Emma, Josh and Johannes will reveal who the celebrities' professional dance partners are.
The live competition format kicks off the following week, Saturday, September 26.
However, the first results show and elimination will not air until Sunday, October 4, and it has been confirmed that the winners of this year's Glitterball Trophy will be revealed on Saturday, December 19.
