Strictly Bosses Surprise Fans With Announcement Of This Year's First Contestant

Strictly Come Dancing fans had a surprise on Monday when the first contestant of this year’s season was unveiled.

Traditionally, Strictly begins announcing its celebrity line-up in early August, ahead of the show’s return in the autumn.

However, this time around, bosses are clearly doing things differently, confirming the first star of the new season on Monday afternoon, before any rumours about the line-up had really begun circulating.

The BBC revealed EastEnders star Lacey Turner will be getting her dancing shoes on in 2026.

Lacey is best known for her long-running stint as Stacey Slater in the BBC soap, making her Albert Square debut more than 20 years ago in 2004.

In the years since, she’s also appeared in Call The Midwife and the military drama Our Girl.

She enthused: “I am so excited to being making my way to the dance floor this year to be a part of Strictly Come Dancing! I am a huge fan and can’t quite believe I will be taking part and not watching at home this year!

“I look forward to meeting everyone and learning a new skill!”

The BBC added that “further news about Strictly Come Dancing 2026 will be revealed throughout the summer”, before it returns to our screens in September.

It’s already well-documented that the upcoming season of Strictly will look very different to what fans have been used to in the last few years.

Most notably, regular hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have left the show, and been replaced by a new presenting trio.

Six long-serving dancers have also left their roles as Strictly pros under various  circumstances ahead of this year’s run.

Tabloid reports have also claimed the Strictly studio will be completely revamped for the new series, with The Sun reporting back in April that It Takes Two was being retooled into a visual podcast, in keeping with the BBC’s successful companion shows to The Traitors and Race Across The World.