Will Best, co-host of ITV's Big Brother and the Hits Radio Breakfast Show, has been announced as the sixth celebrity contestant for Strictly Come Dancing 2026. The new season is scheduled to begin in September.

Best, 41, began his television career as a presenter on T4 and has also appeared on shows such as This Morning and BBC Three. He recently won Celebrity Mastermind, with his specialist subject being Danny Dyer.

The announcement was made on Tuesday via the official @bbcstrictly social media channels on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. Best expressed his excitement and a degree of apprehension about participating, stating, "I can’t quite believe it… I’m doing Strictly! What an absolute dream. Albeit a pretty terrifying one. I’ve been lucky to do lots of live telly before, but absolutely nothing like this. And I cannot wait! I have no idea if I can actually dance, but bring on the sequins, bring on the quicksteps, bring on the dance floor! I’m going to try to enjoy every minute of it."

Best will join previously announced contestants Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem, Chris Appleton, and Cach Mercer in the 2026 lineup.

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The inclusion of Cach Mercer, a professional dancer and winner of Love Island 2025, has previously drawn criticism from some viewers. Fans voiced their displeasure on social media, with comments echoing past controversies surrounding contestants with prior dance experience. Mercer, 25, has a significant following on TikTok for showcasing various dance styles, and also leads dance classes. Some fans questioned the fairness of his casting, with one commenter noting, "Had to google who he was, and the first thing that came up was 'professional dancer'!!! wtf @bbcstrictly."

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Amidst the announcement of Mercer, the official Strictly social media accounts also faced scrutiny for mistakenly tagging the wrong Instagram account for the contestant. Mercer himself appeared to acknowledge the error by posting a GIF of Dwayne Johnson looking confused. Other users pointed out the tagging mistake in the comments section of the announcement post.

Fellow Love Island alum Tasha Ghouri, who also faced backlash for her dance background when she competed in 2024, offered support to Mercer, writing, "Huge good luck!! Take it all in and enjoy it, it’s the best feeling and experience ever!"

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Strictly Come Dancing is set to return to screens later this year, with the remaining celebrity lineup to be revealed throughout the summer.