Every generation eventually hands the ballroom to new voices, and Strictly Come Dancing's 24th series marks precisely that kind of threshold moment — three presenters replacing a beloved duo, five new professionals arriving from four continents, and a lineup of celebrities that includes both returning dreamers and first-time hopefuls. The show, a British institution built on sequins and second chances, chose not merely to continue but to visibly reinvent itself, signalling that longevity and change need not be opposites. What unfolded on Saturday evening was less a television launch than a qui
Strictly returns with new hosting trio as celebrity pairings revealed
I'm just over the moon. I'm so, so happy.
Mark
So three new hosts in one go—that's a big swing. How did it actually feel watching them work?
Mimi
There was a real sense of them finding their footing. Willis seemed most comfortable, which makes sense given her broadcasting background. Widdicombe was visibly nervous but leaning into it. And Radebe brought something different—he knows the show from the inside, from the professional side, so he could speak that language.
Luke
But we should be clear: this was a launch show, which is always a controlled environment. We don't really know how they'll handle the pressure of live judging feedback or managing difficult moments. One good night doesn't tell us much.
Mark
Fair point. What about the pairings themselves—anything surprising there?
Mimi
Dani Dyer coming back after injury and getting Kuzmin again felt like the show rewarding loyalty. And Bethany Antonia being in a same-sex pairing with Nancy Xu—she spoke about how meaningful that representation was to her personally. That's the kind of moment the show seems to be leaning into now.
Luke
Though we should note: we don't know if that pairing was intentional or coincidental. The show used a new reveal method this year, so whether they deliberately matched Antonia with Xu or whether it happened through the musical chairs format—that's not clear from what we saw.
Mark
The five new professional dancers from different countries—is that a first?
Mimi
The show has always drawn professionals from around the world, but bringing in five new ones at once, from five different countries, does feel like a deliberate statement about the show's global reach. They opened with a big production number on a giant disco ball.
Luke
Right, but we don't have information about why those five specifically, or whether there was a particular recruitment strategy. It's presented as exciting and diverse, which it is, but the reasoning behind it isn't explained.
Mark
So what's the real story here—is this just a refresh, or is something deeper changing?
Mimi
I think it's both. The new hosts signal that the show is moving past one chapter. But the fact that they kept the core format, the judges, the closing line—that suggests they're not abandoning what made Strictly work. It's evolution, not revolution.
Le Pouls
- The departure of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman left a presenting void that felt almost impossible to fill — two hosts had become synonymous with the show's warmth for over a decade.
- Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe arrived with visibly different energies, and the tension of whether three could replace two hung over the opening night.
- A new musical chairs-style pairing reveal turned an administrative moment into choreography, injecting novelty into a ritual fans had watched for years.
- Dani Dyer's emotional reunion with professional partner Nikita Kuzmin — she withdrew last year with a fractured ankle — gave the launch its most human and unscripted beat.
- The announcement of a third same-sex female pairing in the show's history, and contestant Bethany Antonia's candid reflection on what that representation had meant to her own life, landed with quiet but considerable weight.
- By the final 'staaart dancing,' the evening had made its argument: the glitterball still turns, even when everything around it has changed.
Every generation eventually hands the ballroom to new voices, and Strictly Come Dancing's 24th series marks precisely that kind of threshold moment — three presenters replacing a beloved duo, five new professionals arriving from four continents, and a lineup of celebrities that includes both returning dreamers and first-time hopefuls. The show, a British institution built on sequins and second chances, chose not merely to continue but to visibly reinvent itself, signalling that longevity and change need not be opposites. What unfolded on Saturday evening was less a television launch than a quiet negotiation between tradition and renewal, conducted in front of a disco ball the size of a small planet.
Strictly Come Dancing opened its 24th series on Saturday with three new presenters at the helm — broadcaster Emma Willis, comedian Josh Widdicombe, and former professional dancer Johannes Radebe — stepping into roles long held by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who departed last year. Willis called it a 'genuine honour,' Widdicombe admitted to feeling 'a little bit overwhelming,' and Radebe, watching his co-host move, offered an approving 'Josh, you've got moves.' The trio brought distinct energies to the ballroom, and the show leaned into that difference rather than papering over it.
The celebrity lineup mixed familiar faces with fresh ones: EastEnders actress Lacey Turner, singer Delta Goodrem, former England footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips, and hair stylist Chris Appleton were among the 15 contestants. The most emotionally charged arrival was Dani Dyer, returning after withdrawing the previous year with a fractured ankle. Paired again with professional Nikita Kuzmin, she said she was 'over the moon,' while Kuzmin's eyes filled with tears.
The show debuted a new pairing format — a musical chairs-style routine in which celebrities and professionals danced together until the music stopped and a couple was announced, turning the reveal into performance. Among the pairings was actress Bethany Antonia with professional Nancy Xu, the third same-sex female couple in Strictly's history. Antonia spoke openly about watching Nicola Adams and Katya Jones dance in 2020 as 'a big part of my coming out journey.' Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey was paired with Julian Caillon, and reigning champion Karen Carney returned to perform the Jive that had launched her winning run.
Five new professional dancers — from the UK, Canada, Italy, South Africa, and Ukraine — made their entrance atop an enormous encaged disco ball, a deliberately theatrical welcome. Judge Craig Revel Horwood found his moments despite reduced screen time, quipping about one celebrity's hip action: 'Call in the paramedics darling.' The evening closed as it always does, with the hosts delivering the show's signature line — 'staaart dancing!' — a thread of continuity woven through a night built almost entirely around change. In 13 weeks, one of these 15 pairs will lift the glitterball trophy.
Strictly Come Dancing opened its 24th series on Saturday with three new faces at the helm, marking the end of an era that had defined the show for years. Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe stepped into the presenter roles vacated by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who departed last year. The shift felt deliberate and fresh—Willis, a broadcaster, Widdicombe, a comedian, and Radebe, a former professional dancer on the show itself, brought different energies to the ballroom. Willis called the job a "genuine honour" as she took her place on stage, while Widdicombe admitted the scale of it all was "a little bit overwhelming" but said he was "delighted" to be there. Radebe, watching Widdicombe move, offered a quick compliment: "Josh, you've got moves."
The celebrity lineup reflected the show's appetite for mixing established names with fresh faces. Lacey Turner from EastEnders, reality TV personality Dani Dyer, hair stylist Chris Appleton, Australian singer Delta Goodrem, and former England footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips were among the 15 contestants stepping onto the floor for the first time. But one contestant was returning: Dyer herself had competed the previous year before withdrawing due to a fractured ankle. She was paired again with professional Nikita Kuzmin, a reunion that carried its own narrative. "I'm just over the moon," Dyer said after learning the pairing, while Kuzmin's eyes filled with tears.
The show introduced a new method for revealing pairings—a musical chairs-style routine where celebrities and professionals danced together until the music stopped, at which point a couple was announced. It was a departure from tradition, turning the reveal itself into performance. Among the 15 pairings announced were actress Bethany Antonia and professional Nancy Xu, marking the third same-sex female couple in Strictly's history. Antonia spoke about the weight of that moment, explaining that watching boxer Nicola Adams and Katya Jones dance together in the 2020 series had been "a big part of my coming out journey." Other notable pairings included Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey with Julian Caillon and former Lioness Karen Carney, the reigning champion, who returned to perform the Jive that had launched her winning run, dancing alongside Carlos Gu.
The show also welcomed five new professional dancers to its roster: Aleksandra Isaeva, Cristian Priori, Lethabo Monametsi, Maddie Ingoldsby, and Mark Karmalita. They came from the UK, Canada, Italy, South Africa, and Ukraine respectively. Their entrance was designed for impact—a high-energy routine performed atop an enormous encaged disco ball that dominated the stage. The addition of new professionals, alongside the new presenting team and fresh celebrity contestants, signaled a deliberate reshaping of the show's identity.
Judge Craig Revel Horwood, the show's resident provocateur, had less screen time than usual during the launch show, though he still found moments to land his barbs. When broadcaster Will Best took the floor, Horwood quipped about his hip action: "Call in the paramedics darling, dislocation—my goodness." The judges—Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas, and Anton Du Beke—played a more muted role overall, allowing the focus to remain on the new era unfolding before them. By the end of the evening, after the routines had concluded and the pairings announced, Willis, Widdicombe, and Radebe delivered the show's signature closing line: "staaart dancing!" It was a moment of continuity in a night designed around change. In 13 weeks, one of these 15 pairs will claim the glitterball trophy from Carney's hands.
Citations marquantes
Presenting Strictly was a genuine honour— Emma Willis, new presenter
It was a little bit overwhelming but I'm delighted to be here— Josh Widdicombe, new presenter
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