Overview
- Dame Sarah Storey was announced on July 17 as the seventh confirmed contestant for Strictly Come Dancing 2026, joining six previously revealed celebrities.
- Storey retired from elite sport earlier this month and will take the show on as a new challenge after a Paralympic career that yielded 30 medals, including 19 golds.
- Her participation is notable because she is the first person with a Damehood to compete on the programme, a fact widely noted in coverage of the signing.
- The series is also undergoing big personnel change off-screen, with Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe replacing long-time hosts and several professional dancers leaving the roster.
- The BBC has signalled roughly eight further celebrity spots will be revealed before the September launch, and announcements have prompted public discussion about casting choices and contestants’ prior dance experience.