Overview
- The pre-recorded launch aired on Saturday, September 19 and used a choreographed partner-rotation twist to reveal all 15 celebrity–professional pairings on the dancefloor.
- Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe made their presenting debut as a trio replacing Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, and viewers reacted with a sharply divided response on social media.
- Five new professionals — Aleksandra Isaeva, Cristian Priori, Lethabo Monametsi, Maddie Ingoldsby and Mark Karmalita — joined the roster while four pros, including Neil Jones, were not paired with celebrities this year.
- Ellie Taylor will cover Emma Willis’s BBC Radio 2 Saturday lunchtime show and take over Strictly: It Takes Two from Monday, September 28, as Willis concentrates on fronting the main programme.
- The show moves into its live-competition phase on Saturday, September 26, when judges will begin scoring performances and the new hosting format and unpaired professionals are likely to draw closer public and critical scrutiny.