There has been a long-running joke within BBC towers that, in recent weeks, staff have been frantically hitting Google like never before.
Not to research world news, or check the weather forecast – but to find out who on earth the celebrities are in the new Strictly cohort.
For some, the list of names has left them bewildered. While in previous years a handful of the star contestants may not have been instantly recognisable household names, most of them were.
But this year, with a raft of influencers, Love Island ‘stars’ and YouTubers making up the bulk of the celebrity cast, certain members of the corporation’s higher echelons are panicking that the high-stakes experiment to attract new viewers to the much-maligned show may backfire.
The signings – which have brought the average age down to 36, the lowest ever in the show’s 22-year history – have now only added to the headache for BBC bosses as Strictly finds itself in the ‘last-chance saloon’ after a series of scandals.
And now, say sources, with the launch of the new-look show just weeks away on September 19, there are genuine fears that the older, loyal audience, that has supported the Saturday night favourite since 2004, will switch off – leading to its eventual demise.
I can reveal that there have been internal conversations at the Beeb, with many believing that viewers will be furious that, once again, BBC chiefs are making the same mistake they did in the past, with programmes such as Question of Sport.
A disastrous ‘refresh’ of that programme in 2021 saw long-standing presenter Sue Barker ditched for Paddy McGuinness, leading to plummeting viewing figures, and the once much-loved family show was shelved two years later, after 52 years.
Strictly Come Dancing’s new hosts Josh Widdicombe, Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe
EastEnders star Lacey Turner
Emmerdale’s Lawrence Robb, 34
Tabitha Stoecker, the 25-year-old Olympic gold medallist skeleton racer
The sense of panic is very real, I’m told: ‘It’s bad enough that we don’t have the foggiest who most of them are,’ says my BBC insider. ‘But what is more depressing is when you do realise who they are, they’re influencers and reality television stars. This isn’t what Strictly is.
‘We have a bunch of people who the core viewers will hardly know and that is worrying for the viewing figures.’ The tension has sparked something of a culture war within the BBC. In one corner are those who want an arguably more ‘woke’ programme packed to the rafters with influencers, then there are others who are fighting tooth and nail not to alienate the show’s loyal fans. But at the moment at least, it seems the ‘woke brigade’ are winning.
So, with the final line-up currently sweating it out in rehearsals, who will be hitting the dance floor in two weeks’ time?
Gone are national treasures such as Angela Rippon, or John Sergeant. The show’s long-standing golden rule not to include any reality television personalities is also out of the window.
Instead, 2026’s line-up includes the likes of 2025 Love Island-champion Cach Mercer, who following his stint in the Majorcan villa has carved himself out a lucrative career as a social media star.
It is undeniable that the Islington-born former dancer and model is popular with young people – but anyone over 30 probably won’t have a clue who he is.
Same for Chris Appleton, the American hairdresser to stars including Kim Kardashian. As one of my insiders snipes: ‘He isn’t even a social media star, he just cuts their hair.’
Then there is John Nellis, a specialist sports YouTuber who has 20million followers online. Some in the BBC may have their eye on him to attract a younger audience but who else has heard of him?
Gavin and Stacey actress Melanie Walters
Former Manchester City and Chelsea footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips
Actor Bethany Antonia, who plays Lady Baela Targaryen in HBO’s House of the Dragon
The 2025 Love Island-champion Cach Mercer
Will Best is also signed up. As host of ITV2’s Big Brother reality show, he is another star popular with the under-30s but unheard of by stalwart Strictly fans.
Bringing the average age up slightly is 41-year-old former soap star Delta Goodrem, who a few older viewers might remember from her role in Neighbours where she played Nina Tucker from 2002 until she left three years later to attempt to become a pop star.
Then there’s former Manchester City and Chelsea footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips, 44 – ‘hardly the best sportsman we could get’ many insiders admit.
Meanwhile, the signing of dog trainer Graeme Hall, best known as presenter of Channel 5’s Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly, has also left many frankly baffled.
Others who may be familiar to some but are certainly not household names include Tabitha Stoecker, the 25-year-old Olympic gold medallist skeleton racer, Emmerdale’s Lawrence Robb, 34, who plays Mackenzie Boyd in the soap and actor Bethany Antonia, who plays Lady Baela Targaryen in HBO’s House of the Dragon.
All hopes are pinned on the clutch of semi-famous names, such as Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey, Gavin and Stacey actress Melanie Walters, EastEnders star Lacey Turner and Dani Dyer – who has upgraded from reality star to mainstream celebrity – who are seen by some BBC chiefs as being the most recognisable to its middle England viewership.
But it’s not just the age and profile of the contestants that has changed. Insiders say a ‘very, very different show’ will be airing on September 19, following a total overhaul prompted by the departure of hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman at the end of the last series.
Even the glitter ball logo has had a glow-up to look jazzier.
Former soap star Delta Goodrem
Chris Appleton, the American hairdresser to stars including Kim Kardashian
Dani Dyer – who has upgraded from reality star to mainstream celebrity
And for the first time since Strictly launched, bosses have cancelled the big press conference where contestants are interviewed by newspaper journalists to promote the programme.
Instead, a bizarre new photo was issued last night, showing the three hosts aboard some sort of backstage passenger cart.
‘The only two things the same are that it will be filmed in the same Elstree studio and the judging panel is still intact,’ says an exasperated associate of the shows. Meanwhile, it isn’t just the celebrity contestants who some BBC bosses have concerns over, but the new presenters too. In May, Strictly unveiled their new hosting trio of former MTV presenter Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, star of Channel 4 show The Last Leg, and the much loved Strictly professional dancer Johannes Radebe.
It came after months of speculation over who might get the role, with many hoping it would be big names Zoe Ball and Rylan Clark who would be signed up.
But after auditions, Strictly bosses were said to have been extremely impressed with Emma, Johannes and Josh – two out of three of whom certainly were wild card choices.
Sources tell me that when the fierce speculation over the new ‘Tess and Claudia’ finally ended earlier this year, some of the most senior BBC bosses were stunned at the new line-up.
In fact, say insiders, some chiefs weren’t 100 per cent clear who Emma and Josh actually were – and they’d been expecting the new cohort to be better-known household names who pass the ‘Tesco Test’ (a term used within the television industry for stars who would be instantly recognised in the supermarket).
Confusing matters further was the fact that Emma, who’s hosted rival ITV show The Voice since 2014, already had a pre-recorded series in the bag, leading to an awkward clash in schedules.
Fast forward three months and while those in the upper echelons have been warming to the new selection, there is still concern that the show is all ‘too much too soon’ for many. According to my own mail bag, many Strictly viewers tell me they only pay their licence fee to watch the show, and if it no longer hits the spot, they may well will pull out from paying it altogether.
‘Who knows what the audience will think until they see it,’ says a source involved with the show. ‘But there are seven million or so people who have a choice now over whether they watch it or not and for some, the show is about all they watch on the BBC.
‘They love Strictly as they’ve known it, but it’s about to change and they have no idea what is coming to their living rooms.’
Perhaps you can’t blame the BBC for orchestrating such an extensive overhaul to the show. Some quarters are keen for a refresh following some unedifying scandals which have left something of a dark cloud over the programme.
In 2023 Amanda Abbington accused her dance partner Giovanni Pernice of bullying her.
Her accusations led to a long, drawn-out review which saw six out of her 17 claims against him upheld – though he was cleared of the most serious allegations regarding physical aggression or threatening and abusive behaviour. Amid that saga, Graziano Di Prima was sacked by Strictly for kicking his partner Zara McDermott during rehearsals. A video showed how he booted her as she was lying on the floor after he lost his temper during training.
Then Wynne Evans was caught making a disgusting comment about It Takes Two host Janette Manrara at the launch of the Strictly tour at the beginning of last year.
Some months later, there were even allegations made that people involved with the show were using cocaine.
Meanwhile, earlier this year an unnamed Strictly star was arrested on suspicion of rape.
And only last week, I revealed how former professional dancer Nadiya Bychkova complained to the BBC’s most senior bosses about an abusive colleague who she no longer wanted to work with – only to find that she would be forced to continue to be in their orbit.
‘It has been a pretty difficult time for the show,’ says a BBC source. ‘Sadly, there were a couple of bad eggs who were brought onto the show who probably, with hindsight, should not have been.
‘Sadly, this means that in some ways Strictly has been tarred, and that hasn’t been good for anyone. The viewers are angry; they hate seeing their show being made to appear like a tawdry mess.’
There is though one breath of fresh air who everyone is agreed will be the saviour of Strictly – waltz forward Johannes Radebe.
While there does appear to be some displeasure amongst fans that he has hung up his ballroom shoes for an autocue, he is adored by Strictly viewers of all ages.
He joined the show in 2018 and has become by far the most popular professional dancer Strictly has ever had.
The South African star, who appeared in the West End musical Kinky Boots earlier this year, won more plaudits for his partnerships with the likes of Annabel Croft and Alex Kingston, while back in 2021 he reached the final with Bake Off winner John Whaite in what was the first all-male partnership.
Last year there was much chatter that Johannes wanted to leave Strictly but bosses leapt into action to keep their golden goose.
‘Johannes will be the saviour of Strictly this season,’ says a programme insider.
‘There are questions over whether it was a good idea to take him from being a dancer to be a host, but the feeling was that the BBC would rather have him than not. If Johannes walked away, then that really would be the nail in the coffin.
‘Everyone is thanking the Lord for Johannes right now – and praying that he decides to stay for a long time yet.’
