Overview
- Strictly’s official Instagram posted a video on Monday confirming Turner as the first celebrity for the 2026 series in which she said she will take part in September and described herself as "so excited and so terrified".
- Emma Barton, who reached the Strictly final in 2019, told The One Show that she messaged Turner and said she was "so proud of her".
- Turner has played Stacey Slater on EastEnders since 2004, a two‑decade run that gives her widespread recognition and strengthens Strictly’s autumn publicity push.
- Turner’s talk of nerves and Barton’s recall of specific anxieties such as walking down the show’s stairs highlight the live‑show pressures contestants face.
- The announcement kicks off Strictly’s promotional build for a September launch and signals that more celebrity castings and media appearances will follow in the coming weeks.