Strictly Come Dancing Kicks Off 24th Series with New Hosting Trio and Celebrity Pairings

Strictly Come Dancing has launched its 24th series with a new presenting lineup and the reveal of celebrity-contestant pairings. Broadcaster Emma Willis, comedian Josh Widdicombe, and former Strictly professional dancer Johannes Radebe made their hosting debut on Saturday evening.

The trio takes the helm following the departure of long-time hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. The launch show also introduced a new group of celebrities to the ballroom, including actress Melanie Walters and former England footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips.

During the special launch episode, the celebrities discovered which professional dancers they will be paired with for the competition. The pairings were revealed through a series of dance routines, with contestants switching partners until the music paused and a couple was announced.

Among the revealed pairings are actress Lacey Turner with Vito Coppola, reality TV star Dani Dyer with Nikita Kuzmin, and hair stylist Chris Appleton with Amy Dowden. Australian singer Delta Goodrem is partnered with Kai Widdrington, while DJ Cach Mercer will dance with Maddie Ingoldsby. TV presenter Will Best has been paired with Dianne Buswell, and Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey will dance with Julian Caillon. Actress Jaime Winstone is partnered with Carlos Gu, and TV actress Bethany Antonia will dance with Nancy Xu. Shaun Wright-Phillips's professional partner is Alexis Warr, and presenter Graeme Hall will dance with Lauren Oakley. Actor Lawrence Robb is paired with Jowita Przystał, skeleton athlete Tabby Stoecker with Mark Karmalita, and YouTuber John Nellis with Katya Jones. TV actress Melanie Walters will dance with Aljaž Škorjanec.

Reality star Dani Dyer returns to the competition for her second attempt after withdrawing from the previous series due to an ankle injury. She expressed her joy at being partnered with Nikita Kuzmin, who shared her excitement.

In a notable development for the show, Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu form the second all-female couple to compete. Antonia shared that watching the pairing of Nicola Adams and Katya Jones in 2020 was significant for her coming out journey.

Reigning champion Karen Carney also made an appearance, performing a Jive with her partner Carlos Gu. Carney, wearing a sparkling football shirt, recreated a dance from her winning series and spoke about feeling at home on the dancefloor. She will surrender her glitterball trophy to a new winner in 13 weeks.