Strictly Come Dancing’s first live show of the 2026 series saw new hosts Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe take charge, as the programme began life without Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
The presenting trio received a mixed reaction from viewers after replacing the long-standing hosting partnership, which ended with the 2025 series.
Emma opened the show by admitting she felt “nervous” after Johannes warned that “anything can happen” during the live programme. The presenters then introduced the judges and contestants before the evening’s performances began.
The revised format placed Emma and Josh on the dancefloor, as Tess Daly had previously been, while Johannes interviewed the celebrities from the auditorium in a role similar to Claudia Winkleman’s.
Some viewers questioned the arrangement, with Josh described by critics as a “spare part” alongside the more experienced Emma.
He did win praise for a comic moment referencing the musical-chairs-style pairing format used during the launch show. Standing on the dancefloor as Emma, Johannes and Craig Revel Horwood appeared around him, Josh cried: “Change partners.”
No contestant will leave Strictly this week. The scores from the opening show will be combined with those from next week before the first elimination takes place next Sunday.
John Nellis tops the Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard
Sports content creator John Nellis finished at the top of the leaderboard after performing a foxtrot with Katya Jones. Motsi Mabuse and Shirley Ballas called it the best dance of the night, while the judges awarded him a total of 31.
EastEnders actress Lacey Turner was next with 27 after her cha cha cha to Whitney Houston’s How Will I Know with Vito Coppola. Shirley gave the couple a standing ovation, while Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley and Anton Du Beke each awarded seven points.
House Of The Dragon actress Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu scored 26 for their quickstep to Stop This Flame by Celeste. Antonia had requested a female professional partner, following the impact of Nicola Adams and Katya Jones’s pairing in 2020 on her coming out journey.
Dog trainer Graeme Hall proved a surprise contender, scoring 24 for his cha cha cha with Lauren Oakley. Tabby Stoecker, the British skeleton racer, earned 22 for her jive with new professional Mark Karmalita, while Love Island star Dani Dyer matched that score with Nikita Kuzmin for their samba.
Dyer finally made her live-show debut after an ankle injury forced her to withdraw before last year’s performances. Her father, Danny Dyer, watched from the front row.
Jaime Winstone and reigning champion Carlos Gu scored 21 for their tango, while Emmerdale actor Lawrence Robb received 20 for his paso doble with Jowita Przystał. Love Island star Cach Mercer also scored 20, despite criticism from the judges over the amount of freestyle in his quickstep with Maddie Ingoldsby.
Big Brother presenter Will Best opened the competition with a samba alongside Dianne Buswell. Although the audience applauded warmly, Craig criticised his “sloppy” arms and the couple finished on 18.
Celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton scored 16 for his tango with Amy Dowden. Gavin & Stacey actress Melanie Walters, the oldest celebrity in the series at 64, also finished on 15 after her cha cha cha with Aljaž Škorjanec.
Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey scored 15 for her quickstep with Julian Caillon after making several mistakes, while former footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips received the same total for his cha cha cha with Alexis Warr.
Australian singer and actress Delta Goodrem closed the show with a samba to Baianá by Barbatuques alongside Kai Widdrington.
The new series has already prompted debate over its line-up, with some viewers questioning the prominence given to online personalities and social media followings. Producers are understood to have targeted contestants with large digital audiences as part of an effort to attract younger viewers.
