Love Island winner Dani Dyer has reunited with Nikita Kuzmin on Strictly Come Dancing, as the show’s pairings were revealed in an action-packed launch show.
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pairings → reunite → show
Dyer was partnered with Kuzmin last year before she was forced to pull out due to injury.
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she → partner → injury
This year’s line-up also features the third all-female pairing in its history, with Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu dancing together, following Nicola Adams and Katya Jones in 2020, and Jayde Adams and Karen Hauer in 2022.
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Antonia → feature → 2022
After finding out she had been paired with Kuzmin, Dyer said she was just “just over the moon” and “so, so happy”.
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she → find → moon
Kuzmin added: “I had, like generally tears of joy when that happened, and just to hear everybody cheer, hear the audience sing.
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audience → add → joy
Dani’s so happy, I was honestly hoping this was going to happen, but you never know.”
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you → ’ → ?
After finding out she and Antonia would be the first all-female couple since 2022, Xu said she could not wait for the partnership and added she was “so happy”.
Antonia said: “I just feel so happy, we just like bonded instantly, like day one, we weren’t supposed to have a preference, and just every day was like, I kind of do.”
The launch show opened with a dance number from the professionals, judges and new hosts Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe, and showed the stars meet their partners for the first time on the dancefloor, rather than during a pre-recorded video.
Speaking during her introduction, Willis said: “It is our genuine honour to be here, and we cannot wait to spend the next 13 weeks with all of you.”
Radebe added: “It’s a brand new year in the ballroom, which means 15 new celebrities, 15 new partnerships, and four people they’re going to be desperate to impress.”
During the show, the trio presented in different combinations across both the dancefloor and in the auditorium.
After introducing the show, Willis said: “Never in a million years did I ever think I would get to dance with Strictly pros.
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I → find → pros
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Radebe added: “And I definitely never thought it would be the three of us standing in the spot.
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it → read → spot
Widdicombe interjected: “No, I’ll be honest, not many people did, Johannes.
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people → interject → ?
“Why’s that got more of a laugh than I was hoping, but there we are, it’s a little bit overwhelming to be here, but we are so delighted.
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we → get → laugh
At the end of the show, the traditional “keep dancing” catchphrase was swapped for “start dancing” as they danced forwards together as a trio.
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they → dance → trio
The 15 celebrities, along with their respective dance partners, will begin performing paired dances from next weekend.
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celebrities → begin → weekend
The 30-year-old reunites with Ukrainian dancer Kuzmin, who was runner-up in the 2025 competition alongside West End star Amber Davies.
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who → reunite → Davies
Since winning Love Island in 2018, Dyer has appeared on programmes including Celebrity MasterChef, Celebrity Gogglebox and EastEnders, and was a joint winner of this year’s Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
She also stars alongside her father, Rivals actor Danny Dyer, in their reality series The Dyers’ Caravan Park.
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She → win → series
The 28-year-old is best known for playing dragon-rider Lady Baela Targaryen in the HBO fantasy prequel series.
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old → know → series
She has also appeared in Doctors, Stath Lets Flats, Nolly and Doctor Who, as well as the West End production of Hadestown.
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Stath → appear → Hadestown
Big Brother co-host Best has been paired with Buswell in her return to Strictly since giving birth to her first child with partner Joe Sugg.
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Best → pair → Sugg
TV and radio presenter Best, 41, is best known for fronting the ITV reality series alongside AJ Odudu and hosting the Hits Radio Breakfast Show.
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Best → front → Show
Buswell said she was “very happy” with her pairing, while Best said he felt “like a champion already” when the pair were coupled up.
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pair → say → champion
– Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu
Winstone was partnered with Chinese dancer Gu, who took home the 2025 Glitterball trophy with former Lioness Karen Carney.
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who → partner → Carney
The 41-year-old actress, daughter of actor Ray Winstone, is best known for films including Made In Dagenham, Bullet Boy and Tomb Raider.
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actress → include → Dagenham
Her TV credits include Dead Set and Poirot, while she has also starred in the West End production of 2:22 A Ghost Story.
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she → include → 2:22
The Edgware-born actress, 38, has also appeared on TV shows including True Love and Call The Midwife, and starred as Molly Dawes in the military drama Our Girl.
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actress → bear → drama
Turner was the first contestant to be announced as taking part in Strictly this year.
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Turner → announce → Strictly
– Melanie Walters and Aljaz Skorjanec
Gavin And Stacey actress Walters has been paired with Slovenian dancer Skorjanec.
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Walters → pair → Skorjanec
The 64-year-old is best known for playing Stacey’s mother Gwen West in the BBC comedy, but she has also appeared in Coronation Street, Beyond Paradise, Being Human, Hollyoaks, Doc Martin and Death Valley.
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she → know → Human
Skorjanec previously won the competition with TV presenter Abbey Clancy during his debut year on the show in 2013.
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Skorjanec → win → 2013
– Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington
Singer and actress Goodrem has been partnered with Widdrington after representing her home country of Australia at Eurovision earlier this year.
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Goodrem → partner → Eurovision
The 41-year-old rose to fame in Neighbours, playing Nina Tucker from 2002 to 2003.
She has also featured as a coach on The Voice Australia and has achieved five Australian number one albums.
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She → rise → albums
– Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon
Dame Sarah has been partnered with Australian dancer Caillon.
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Sarah → partner → Caillon
The cyclist and swimmer, 48, recently announced her retirement from sport but has signed up for Strictly as a new challenge.
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cyclist → announce → challenge
She has 19 Paralympic gold medals, making her the most successful British Paralympian of all time.
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her → have → time
The athlete was born without a functioning left hand after her arm became entangled in the umbilical cord in the womb, meaning her hand did not develop as normal.
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hand → bear → womb
– Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby
Reality star Mercer is hitting the dancefloor with new professional Ingoldsby.
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Mercer → hit → Ingoldsby
Ingoldsby is among five new dancers joining the 2026 line-up and is a UK national ballroom champion.
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Ingoldsby → join → up
Mercer won Love Island last year alongside Toni Laites, taking home a share of the £50,000 prize pot.
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Mercer → win → pot
They have since broken up.
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They → break → ?
– Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden
Celebrity hair stylist Appleton has been partnered with Dowden.
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Appleton → partner → Dowden
The 43-year-old is best known for working with stars including Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, Ariana Grande and Katy Perry.
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old → know → Kardashian
Dowden has appeared on Strictly since 2017 and recently made a full return to the programme following treatment for breast cancer.
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Dowden → appear → cancer
…and 10 more, not listed.
The Aporia
