Gavin & Stacey star Melanie Walters completes Strictly line-up

Gavi & Stacey sta Mela ie Walte s has become the 15th a d fi al celeb ity to be a ou ced fo the li e-up of St ictly Come Da ci g 2026.

Walte s has played mild-ma e ed, omelette-obsessed Gwe West i the BBC comedy si ce 2007, i cludi g the fi ale b oadcast at Ch istmas i 2024.

I a stateme t, Walte s said: “Pe fo mi g i pa tomime fo the last 15 yea s, my St ictly ‘fix’ has always bee watchi g i a d essi g oom athe tha my f o t oom.

“This yea I am completely th illed a d happy to swap my fai y wa d fo sequi ed da ce shoes.”

She added: “I just hope I do ‘t follow Ci de ella a d leave o e o the Ball oom stai s. I ca ot wait to take pa t i this absolutely ico ic show, it’s so exciti g. See you i Septembe !”

Walte s is also k ow fo oles i Co o atio St eet, Beyo d Pa adise, Doc Ma ti , Bei g Huma , Death Valley a d Hollyoaks.

He film c edits i clude High Tide a d Save the Ci ema, while she has also appea ed i stage p oductio s such as Blood B othe s, Twelfth Night a d Educati g Rita.

All 15 celeb ity co testa ts have ow bee co fi med fo St ictly Come Da ci g – see the full li e-up below:

Football co te t c eato Joh Nellis has mo e tha 20 millio followe s ac oss social media.

He has amassed billio s of views fo his videos featu i g global socce sta s such as C istia o Ro aldo, Kylia Mbappé a d Lio el Messi.

The fo me ai t affic co t olle said he was “a little e vous” because he has eve da ced befo e, but is hopi g to be “much bette at family pa ties by the e d of it”.

Team GB skeleto ace Tabby Stoecke wo gold at the 2026 Wi te Olympic Games, a d is also a Wo ld Cup ace wi e , a double Wo ld Champio ship medallist a d a Eu opea Champio ship medallist.

She o ly made he i te atio al debut i the spo t five yea s ago.

Whe he pa ticipatio was a ou ced, Stoecke said she was “ove the moo ” to be joi i g this yea ‘s St ictly cast.

“I’ve had the wildest yea of my life so fa ,” she co ti ued, “so to be ou di g it off with a childhood d eam of da ci g i the St ictly ball oom is su eal a d I ca ‘t wait to get stuck i !”

Emme dale acto Law e ce Robb has played Macke zie ‘Mack’ Boyd i the ITV soap si ce 2020.

His othe c edits i clude appea i g opposite Billie Pipe i I Hate Suzie a d i stage p oductio s such as Legally Blo de The Musical.

I a stateme t, the acto joked: “I do ‘t k ow who’s mo e excited about this, me o my mothe .

“I ca ‘t quite believe that I am goi g to be getti g my da ci g shoes o this Septembe o o e of my favou ite shows of all time.”

He added: “It’s a d eam come t ue, a d I ca ‘t wait to b i g my all to ball oom. Wish me luck, a d a y advice is ve y welcome – t ust me I’ll eed it!”

K ow as the Dogfathe , G aeme Hall has appea ed o Cha el 5’s Dog’s Behavi g (Ve y) Badly si ce the show’s lau ch i 2017.

The p ese te a d dog t ai e has also f o ted The Dog Hospital a d co t ibuted to BBC adio p og ammes, ITV’s This Mo i g, a d w ote a egula colum fo the Times.

“I ca ‘t believe I am joi i g the cast of St ictly fo 2026,” Hall said. “I have always loved da ci g, so to have the oppo tu ity to lea f om the best i the busi ess is a d eam come t ue.

“I have watched the show fo yea s, so to be a pa t of it feels like a ve y exciti g challe ge, albeit mo e tha a bit e ve-w acki g! I ca ‘t wait to get sta ted. B i g it o !”

Hall has also w itte books i cludi g The Ultimate Kid’s Guide to Dogs a d p eviously made a cameo appea a ce i the hit d ama All C eatu es G eat a d Small.

Othe celeb ities to be co fi med fo St ictly this yea i clude fo me E gla d a d Ma cheste City wi ge Shau W ight-Phillips.

The football pu dit, who is the so of A se al lege d Ia W ight, had 36 caps fo E gla d a d also played fo clubs i cludi g Chelsea a d Quee s Pa k Ra ge s.

His fa cy footwo k may have dazzled o the pitch but W ight-Phillips said this latest challe ge “is defi itely outside my comfo t zo e”.

“Da ci g is i my blood – but mai ly at family eve ts!” he said. “I’m supe excited to get sta ted a d eally looki g fo wa d to the challe ge!”

While ex-footballe s have had mixed fo tu es o p evious St ictly se ies, fo me socce sta Ka e Ca ey flipped the sc ipt last yea by wi i g the coveted glitte ball.

A to ia has po t ayed d ago – ide Lady Baela Ta ga ye i HBO’s Game of Th o es p equel si ce 2022. She is cu e tly sta i g as Eu ydice i the To y Awa d-wi i g musical Hadestow i Lo do ‘s West E d.

He acti g ca ee bega whe she was 14 whe she appea ed i a sho t film adaptatio of The Tempest, befo e bei g cast as a guest ole i the BBC’s Docto s.

The si ge a d act ess has also appea ed i se ies i cludi g Nolly, Stay Close, Stath Lets Flats, a d Docto Who.

A to ia said: “I ca ‘t quite believe that I will be headi g to the St ictly ball oom this Septembe ! I have g ow up watchi g St ictly, a d I am so excited to take the challe ge o a d (hopefully!) lea a ew skill. See you o the da cefloo !”

Jaime Wi sto e lau ched he acti g ca ee i 2004 a d he film c edits i clude Bullet Boy, Tomb Raide a d Wild Bill, as well stage p oductio s such as 2:22 A Ghost Sto y.

The act ess, who also wo acclaim fo he po t ayal of Ba ba a Wi dso i the BBC biopic Babs, said she was “so excited” to be joi i g the da ce competitio .

The act ess said i a stateme t she was ” o st a ge to a da ce floo “, but added that ball oom is “a whole ew wo ld fo me”.

“I love a challe ge though,” she co ti ued, “so ca ‘t wait to e te my showgi l e a a d get supe spa kly!”

Wi sto e has also appea ed i TV se ies such as Poi ot, Dead Set, To vill & Dea , Mad Dogs, Cou t Abdulla a d Fou Lives.

Afte playi g Wi dso i Babs, Wi sto e stepped i to the late act ess’s famous ole of Peggy Mitchell i EastE de s, appea i g i flashback specials, most ece tly i the soap’s 40th a ive sa y last yea .

K ow as G eat B itai ‘s most successful Pa alympia of all time, Dame Sa ah Sto ey has secu ed 19 gold medals ac oss the i e Pa alympic Games she competed i .

The swimme a d cyclist said emba ki g o the challe ge is “hugely exciti g” a d she “ca ‘t wait to get sta ted”.

“I have always loved watchi g St ictly a d my daughte Louisa is a ve y tale ted da ce , so to be able to lea f om the best a d hopefully u de sta d eve mo e about he wo ld, is i c edibly motivati g!” she said.

The fo me athlete wo fou golds at Lo do 2012. She sta ted he ca ee as a swimme a d late switched to cycli g, wi i g 30 Pa alympic medals i total.

Best is k ow fo hosti g Big B othe with AJ Odudu o ITV si ce 2023, a d as host of the Hits Radio B eakfast Show alo gside Fleu East a d James Ba .

He said it was “a absolute d eam” to be taki g to the BBC O e co test’s da ce floo i Septembe , “albeit a p etty te ifyi g o e”.

Best added: “I’ve bee lucky to do lots of live telly befo e, but absolutely othi g like this. A d I ca ot wait!

“I have o idea if I ca actually da ce, but b i g o the sequi s, b i g o the quicksteps, b i g o the da ce floo ! I’m goi g to t y to e joy eve y mi ute of it.”

Me ce was pa t of the wi i g couple o ITV dati g show Love Isla d last yea , a d also wo ks as a model a d DJ, a d is a ambassado fo a you g people’s me tal health cha ity.

“I have g ow up watchi g the show with my family a d am so excited to ow be pa t of the cast,” he said.

Me ce also showcases his Af obeat, hip-hop a d st eet da ce moves o his social media accou ts.

“Da ci g is a huge passio of mi e a d I ca ‘t wait to lea ball oom a d do the foxt ot fo the fi st time!” he added.

Delta Good em is also pa t of this yea ‘s celeb ity list, with the Aust alia si ge a d act ess becomi g the thi d celeb ity to be a ou ced fo the upcomi g se ies.

“I’ve bee i c edibly ho ou ed to pe fo m o ma y diffe e t stages th oughout my ca ee – f om TV, theat e, film sets, to tou i g my ow shows a ou d the wo ld,” Good em said.

“The e is, howeve , o e stage I’ve eve stepped o to a d that is the ball oom floo . I’m absolutely th illed to be joi i g St ictly a d ca ‘t wait to get sta ted.”

She ose to fame i hit Aust alia soap ope a Neighbou s a d ece tly ep ese ted he atio i the 2026 editio of the Eu ovisio So g Co test.

Celeb ity hai stylist Ch is Appleto is also pa t of this yea ‘s li e-up.

Appleto , best k ow fo his wo k with Kim Ka dashia , joi s si ge -so gw ite Delta Good em, EastE de s act ess Lacey Tu e a d eality sta Da i Dye i the battle fo the Glitte ball t ophy.

The Leiceste -bo Colo Wow c eative di ecto said: “I’m th illed to be joi i g St ictly Come Da ci g a d comi g home to the UK fo this i c edible expe ie ce.”

He has also c eated ed ca pet looks fo the likes of Je ife Lopez, Katy Pe y a d A ia a G a de, while havi g his wo k showcased o the cove s of publicatio s i cludi g Vogue, Ha pe ‘s Bazaa a d Va ity Fai .

“I’ve always believed that the best thi gs happe whe you take a cha ce a d t y somethi g ew,” added the 43-yea -old, who this yea eleased a memoi e titled You Roots Do ‘t Defi e You.

“I may k ow my way a ou d a salo floo , but the da ce floo is a whole diffe e t sto y – a d I ca ‘t wait to get sta ted.”

Lacey Tu e was the fi st co testa t to be a ou ced fo this yea ‘s se ies, which is expected to begi i Septembe .

She said she was “so excited to be maki g my way to the da ce floo “, addi g that she was a “huge fa ” of the show.

Tu e , 38, is best k ow fo he ole as Stacey Slate o the BBC O e soap, which she joi ed i 2004.

She has wo a B itish Soap Awa d a d Natio al Televisio Awa d fo he ole, a d has also sta ed i TV d amas i cludi g the BBC’s Ou Gi l.

I a video posted o I stag am, Tu e said she was “so excited a d so te ified at the same time” to be taki g pa t i the show.

“But I’ve had so ma y f ie ds do St ictly, a d I thought it was about time that I pluck up the cou age a d made my way o to the da ce floo .”

Da i Dye , the media pe so ality a d daughte of acto Da y Dye appea ed i the lau ch episode last yea , but was the i ju ed i t ai i g a d pulled out befo e the competitio bega .

That i cide t has ot put he off t yi g agai . “I am so excited to be back i the ball oom this Septembe ,” she said.

“I just ca ot wait to get my da ci g shoes back o a d hopefully this time a ou d I ca actually make it to week o e! I’m just ove the moo a d ca ot wait to fi d out who else is doi g it.”

The 29-yea -old, who fi st fou d fame o Love Isla d i 2018, f actu ed he a kle whe she “la ded fu y” i ehea sals with da ce pa t e Nikita Kuzmi befo e the competitive episodes bega last Septembe .

She was eplaced by act ess Ambe Davies, a othe fo me Love Isla d wi e , who we t o to each the St ictly fi al.

Ea lie this yea , Dye was joi t wi e of Cha el 4’s Celeb ity SAS: Who Da es Wi s, a d appea ed with he dad i TV show The Dye s’ Ca ava Pa k.

Josh Widdicombe, Emma Willis a d Joha es Radebe will take ove as St ictly p ese te s this yea , followi g the depa tu es of Tess Daly a d Claudia Wi klema .

Ballas, C aig Revel Ho wood, Motsi Mabuse a d A to Du Beke will all etu as judges.

Regula p o da ce s i cludi g Amy Dowde , Dia e Buswell, Katya Jo es, Vito Coppola a d Aljaz Sko ja ec will all be back o the da ce floo .

Howeve , p ofessio al da ce s Go ka Ma quez, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk, Ka e Haue a d Michelle Tsiakkas will ot be etu i g this yea .