First celebrity confirmed for Strictly Come Dancing 2026 in unprecedented move

Strictly Come Dancing has started its celebrity announcements early, confirming that EastEnders star Lacey Turner will be heading to Elstree Studios

Strictly Come Dancing mystery woman template

 

he next series of Strictly Come Dancing will be all change with new hosts Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe stepping in, but there’s been another major change in how the celeb line-up is announced.

Viewers are usually waiting until July or August for the names to be confirmed, but on Wednesday, the BBC confirmed the first name, a month before normal.

The official Strictly channel shared the update confirming that soap icon Lacey Turner would be heading to Elstree. The star is best known for her award-winning role as Stacey Slater on BBC soap opera EastEnders, winning over 40 awards for her portrayal of the character. Lacey has appeared in nearly 2,000 episodes of the soap, but brought her stint on the show to an end last year.

The 38-year-old actress is also known for her roles in Being Human, True Love, Call the Midwife and Our Girl.

Lacey Turner in front of a glittering background© BBC
Lacey was the first star confirmed for the show

Speaking about joining the show, the star said: “I am so excited to be making my way to the dance floor this year to be a part of Strictly Come Dancing! I am a huge fan and can’t quite believe I will be taking part and not watching at home this year! I look forward to meeting everyone and learning a new skill!”

Fans were also surprised with the timing, as one posted: “Wait celeb reveals announced early!?!? But also woooo Lacey gonna be amazing,” while a second added: “Omg it’s so early how exciting!!”

Others had praise for the star signing, with one joking: “Btw for non-soap viewers this is basically like signing Ronaldo,” and a second said: “Oooh and she’s off! C’mon missus! You’ve got this in the bloomin’ bag and we’re all rooting for you!!”

The BBC has confirmed that fans can expect further announcements over the course of the summer before the show returns for its 24th season in September.

Changes to Strictly

Strictly will be so different when it returns in the autumn. Although fans are used to seeing a whole new crop of celebrities and pro dancers, this year, they’re also faced with brand-new hosts after Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman departed following last year’s final.

Last month, it was confirmed that Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and pro dancer Johannes Radebe would be serving as their replacements. The news was confirmed on Strictly’s Instagram with a video featuring Emma being joined by Johannes, with Josh joining the pair afterwards. The account teased: “It’s official…September 2026.”

Just days before Lacey’s confirmation as the first Strictly star, it was confirmed that Janette Manrara would be leaving the show after 14 years as a dancer and presenter of sister show, It Takes Two.

“Strictly Come Dancing has changed hugely and I am no longer a part of It Takes Two or the main show,” Janette told fans in a YouTube video on 3 June. The professional dancer said she would “still be involved in other ways”, but clarified “that just means that I’m free to pursue and do many other projects that I’ve always wanted to do and never really thought about doing.”

janette mcnara in white dress at pride of britain © Gareth Cattermole
Janette is no longer part of the show

She added: “Strictly’s all I’ve ever known for the last 14 years, so it is a bit of like, ‘Oh, we’re going into a different world, a different space, how are we going to navigate that? And I think a lot of women go through that in midlife.”

cre: https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/906604/lacey-turner-first-celebrity-confirmed-strictly/