Will Best, the presenter who helped revive Big Brother for a new generation, has been confirmed as the latest celebrity to join the Strictly Come Dancing line-up for the 2026 series.
Best, who co-hosts the ITV2 reality reboot alongside AJ Odudu, said he was "terrified and thrilled in equal measure" at the prospect of swapping the Big Brother house for the Strictly ballroom. He will be paired with one of the show's professional dancers when the series returns to BBC One in September.
The booking continues Strictly's tradition of drawing from across the television landscape. Best's presence also creates a neat cross-channel narrative: an ITV2 star competing on the BBC's flagship entertainment show, at a time when both broadcasters are competing intensely for younger audiences.
Best's background as a presenter rather than a performer means his dance experience is limited to what he described as "questionable moves at weddings." But Strictly producers have historically favoured contestants who start from a low base, giving the audience a journey to follow. Bookmakers have placed him in the middle of the pack for now, with odds likely to shift once the full line-up is revealed and training footage emerges.
The 2026 series is expected to be one of the most competitive in years, with rumours of several Olympians and a Hollywood name also in talks. Best said his only goal was to survive the first elimination. "If I make it past week three," he said, "I'm claiming it as a personal victory."
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