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Strictly Come Dancing confirms viral YouTube star for 2026 line-up

The 14th member of this year's Strictly Come Dancing line-up has been confirmed.

John Nellis, for Strictly Come Dancing, stood against a brightly coloured backdrop and wearing a white t-shirt.

BBC

Published: Tuesday, 11 August 2026 at 11:45 am

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YouTuber and football content creator John Nellis has joined the line-up for this year's season of Strictly Come Dancing.

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Nellis is the 14th celebrity to be confirmed for the line-up so far, with the announcement being made on Tuesday 11 August via the show's official social channels on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube.

Nellis is one of the UK’s biggest sports content creators, with a combined audience of more than 20 million followers.

His videos have amassed billions of views and featured some of the biggest sporting names, including Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Cristiano Ronaldo.

He won Sport Creator of the Year at the 2024 TikTok Awards UK & Ireland.

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Nellis said in a statement: "I'm still in disbelief that I've been selected for Strictly and, if I'm honest, I'm a little nervous as I've never danced before! It's such an incredible opportunity, and I'm going to throw myself into every moment.

"I can't wait to meet everyone, learn a new skill and, hopefully, be much better at family parties by the end of it!"

Judge Motsi Mabuse and professional dancers Amy Dowden and Dianne Buswell are among those to have welcomed Nellis to the series, commenting under the Instagram post announcing his casting.

Nellis will be joined in the line-up by the already announced Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem, Chris Appleton, Cach Mercer and Will Best, Dame Sarah Storey, Jaime Winstone, Bethany Antonia, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Graeme Hall, Lawrence Robb and Tabby Stoecker.

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This leaves just one celebrity to be announced for this year's season of the beloved programme, which is this year having a major refresh.

This incudes new hosts Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe joining the series, filling the roles vacated by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman at the end of last year.

Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One and iPlayer later this year.

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Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of James Hibbs, smiling against a lime green background.

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.

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