Strictly Come Dancing 2026 is on BBC One and free to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Series 24 launched on Saturday 19 September at 7.25pm, the first live show is
Saturday 26 September, and it runs weekly until the final before Christmas. You
need a TV Licence, but no subscription.
How to watch Strictly Come Dancing 2026
| Where | What you get | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| BBC One | Live broadcast, Saturday nights | TV Licence only |
| BBC iPlayer | Live simulcast plus full series on demand | TV Licence only |
| BBC Two | It Takes Two, weekday companion show | TV Licence only |
| BBC Red Button | Signed version of the launch show | TV Licence only |
There is no paid tier and no catch. Strictly is a BBC production, so it does not
appear on Netflix, Disney+, NOW or Prime Video in the UK, and no amount of
searching will turn up a legitimate subscription route — if a site is offering
you one, it is not selling you Strictly.
The TV Licence is £180 a year from 1 April 2026. That is the only cost involved,
and it is the same licence that covers live television on any channel.
When is Strictly on?
- Launch show — Saturday 19 September 2026, 7.25pm, BBC One. 110 minutes. No
public vote; this is the show where the couples are paired up. - First live show — Saturday 26 September 2026.
- Weekly thereafter, Saturday nights with a Sunday results show, through to
the final in the run-up to Christmas. - It Takes Two — BBC Two on weekday evenings once the live shows begin.
Start times shift week to week around football and other live events, so the
Saturday slot is not fixed at 7.25pm all series. Our Saturday
guide carries the actual time each week.
The 2026 couples
All fifteen couples, confirmed on the launch show on Saturday 19 September.
| Celebrity | Known for | Professional partner |
|---|---|---|
| Lacey Turner | EastEnders actor | Vito Coppola |
| Dani Dyer | Television personality | Nikita Kuzmin |
| Jaime Winstone | Actor | Carlos Gu |
| Bethany Antonia | House of the Dragon actor | Nancy Xu |
| Melanie Walters | Gavin & Stacey actor | Aljaž Škorjanec |
| Lawrence Robb | Emmerdale actor | Jowita Przystał |
| Delta Goodrem | Singer-songwriter and actor | Kai Widdrington |
| Chris Appleton | Celebrity hairstylist | Amy Dowden |
| Graeme Hall | Dog trainer and presenter | Lauren Oakley |
| Tabby Stoecker | Olympic skeleton racer | Mark Karmalita |
| Shaun Wright-Phillips | Former footballer and pundit | Alexis Warr |
| Cach Mercer | Model and DJ | Maddie Ingoldsby |
| Will Best | Television and radio presenter | Dianne Buswell |
| Dame Sarah Storey | Paralympic champion | Julian Caillon |
| John Nellis | Online content creator | Katya Jones |
Two of the five new professionals went straight into a couple: Maddie
Ingoldsby with Cach Mercer and Mark Karmalita with Tabby Stoecker. Neil
Jones, Aleksandra Isaeva, Lethabo Monametsi and Cristian Priori are not paired
with a celebrity this series, which means group numbers rather than the
competition itself.
Johannes Radebe has no celebrity, as you would expect — he is presenting now.
Three hosts, and no more Tess and Claudia
The biggest change in years: Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe
present series 24 between them. It is the first time Strictly has been regularly
fronted by three people, and they replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
Radebe is the interesting one. He spent almost a decade as a professional on the
show before moving to the other side of it, which makes him the only host who has
actually done the thing the contestants are being asked to do.
Because the main run goes out live, there is no edit to smooth over a wobbly
first few weeks — a luxury other revamped formats have had.
The judges
Unchanged for 2026: Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse
and Anton Du Beke.
What else changed in 2026
- Phone voting is gone. Voting is online only from this series.
- The couples were paired live on the floor. No pre-recorded introductions:
the fifteen celebrities and fifteen professionals danced in three groups of
five, with the hosts calling “change partners!” at unpredictable intervals
anywhere between five and thirty seconds. Emma Willis described it as speed
dancing. - Five professionals left: Karen Hauer after fourteen years, along with Gorka
Márquez, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk and Michelle Tsiakkas. - Five joined: Aleksandra Isaeva, Maddie Ingoldsby, Mark Karmalita, Lethabo
Monametsi and Cristian Priori. - It Takes Two has a new host — Ellie Taylor, replacing Fleur East and
Janette Manrara. - The logo changed for the first time since series 8.
Watching from abroad
BBC iPlayer is geo-blocked outside the UK, and there is no official portability
for licence-fee payers who happen to be travelling. At the time of writing no
international broadcaster has been confirmed for series 24 in the United States,
Canada or Australia.
The common workaround is a VPN set to a UK server with a UK BBC account, but
iPlayer’s terms of use prohibit it, so that is information rather than a
recommendation. If you are abroad for the series, the honest answer is that there
is no sanctioned route.
Frequently asked questions
How can I watch Strictly Come Dancing 2026?
Strictly airs on BBC One and streams free on BBC iPlayer, live and on demand.
There is no subscription — you need a valid UK TV Licence, £180 a year from 1
April 2026.
Is Strictly Come Dancing free to watch?
Yes. It is a BBC programme, so no subscription and no adverts. It is not on
Netflix, Disney+, NOW or Prime Video in the UK.
When does Strictly Come Dancing 2026 start?
The launch show aired Saturday 19 September 2026 at 7.25pm on BBC One. The first
live show is Saturday 26 September 2026, and the series runs weekly to the final
before Christmas.
Who are the Strictly Come Dancing 2026 hosts?
Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe — the first time three hosts have
regularly fronted the show. They replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
Can you still vote by phone on Strictly?
No. Phone voting was scrapped for series 24; voting is online only. The launch
show carries no public vote.
Who are the Strictly Come Dancing 2026 judges?
Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke — unchanged.
How do I watch Strictly Come Dancing from abroad?
iPlayer is geo-blocked and there is no official portability. No international
broadcaster has been confirmed for series 24. A UK-server VPN is the usual
workaround, but iPlayer’s terms prohibit it.
Who is partnered with who on Strictly 2026?
Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola, Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin, Jaime Winstone and
Carlos Gu, Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu, Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec,
Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał, Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington, Chris
Appleton and Amy Dowden, Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley, Tabby Stoecker and Mark
Karmalita, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr, Cach Mercer and Maddie
Ingoldsby, Will Best and Dianne Buswell, Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon,
and John Nellis and Katya Jones.
Where can I watch Strictly It Takes Two?
BBC Two on weekday evenings during the series, and on BBC iPlayer. Ellie Taylor
hosts for 2026.
Related: What’s On TV Tonight Saturday | BBC One TV Guide | BBC Two TV Guide | How to Watch Freeview Channels Online
