Jump to contentAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleIncoming Strictly Come Dancing host Emma Willis has admitted she had not heard of all the celebrity contestants competing in the 2026 series. Viewers have criticised the line-up as the weakest in the show's 24-series history, pointing to lesser-known male contestants like football influencer John Nellis. Willis defended the casting, stating that the show needs to appeal to multi-generational audiences by featuring stars from various media backgrounds. The 2026 series features a major overhaul, with Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe taking over hosting duties following Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman's departures. The new presenting trio dismissed rumours that any of them would act as a backstage roving reporter or directly replicate the previous hosts' roles. In fullStrictly’s Emma Willis admits even she hadn’t heard of some celebs on 2026 line-up branded ‘weakest’ everMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
New Strictly host makes honest admission about this year’s celebrity contestants
Jump to contentAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleIncoming Strictly Come Dancing host Emma Willis has admitted she had not heard of all the celebrity contestants competing in the 2026 series. Viewers have criticised the line-up as the weakest in the show's 24-series history, pointing to lesser-known male contestants like football influencer John Nellis. Willis defended the casting, stating that the show needs to appeal to multi-generational audiences by featuring stars from various media backgrounds. The 2026 series features a major overhaul, with Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe taking over hosting duties following Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman's departures. The new presenting trio dismissed rumours that any of them would act as a backstage roving reporter or directly replicate the previous hosts' roles. In fullStrictly’s Emma Willis admits even she hadn’t heard of some celebs on 2026 line-up branded ‘weakest’ everMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
