Graeme Hall confirmed as eleventh celebrity for Strictly Come Dancing 2026

Graeme Hall has been confirmed as the eleventh celebrity contestant on Strictly Come Dancing 2026. The BBC announced the signing ahead of the show's twenty-fourth series, which is due to launch in September and air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer this autumn. Hall, 60, is a television presenter and dog trainer best known for fronting Channel 5's Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly, a role that earned him the nickname "The Dogfather". He is also a bestselling author. Strictly pairs celebrities with professional dancers to perform ballroom and Latin routines before a judging panel, and Hall's professional partner has yet to be revealed. His announcement comes as Strictly enters a new era. Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe have taken over as hosts following the departures of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, and production is returning to Elstree Studios. Hall joins a line-up reported to include Lacey Turner and Delta Goodrem, with more names still to come.

Graeme Hall joins Strictly Come Dancing 2026 as eleventh celebrity

Graeme Hall, the television presenter and dog trainer known as "The Dogfather", has been announced as the eleventh celebrity contestant for the 2026 series of Strictly Come Dancing.

Hall, who fronts Channel 5's Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly, joins the cast of the BBC's flagship ballroom competition, in which celebrities are paired with professional dancers to perform ballroom and Latin routines before a judging panel. The announcement confirms him as the 11th name revealed for the upcoming run.

The 2026 series will be the twenty-fourth in the programme's history. It is scheduled to air in autumn 2026 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, with a launch show planned for September 2026.

According to reports, Hall said he was eager to begin his time on the show and "could not wait to get started". Reports also suggest he said he could not wait to take part in the competition.

Hall's casting adds a familiar face from factual television to the line-up. Beyond his work as a dog trainer and presenter, he is also a bestselling author, though it is his on-screen persona as "The Dogfather" for which he is best known to viewers.

His professional dance partner has not yet been announced. The pairings are traditionally revealed during the launch show, when the full cast takes to the Strictly ballroom for the first time ahead of the live shows.

Who is 'The Dogfather'? Hall's career from dog training to bestselling author

Graeme Hall arrives in the Strictly ballroom with a career built around Britain's most troublesome pets. A television presenter and professional dog trainer, he is best known for fronting Channel 5's Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly, the programme that made him a household name among dog owners and earned him his famous nickname, 'The Dogfather'. The moniker is a playful nod to his role as the man called in when canine behaviour gets out of hand, and it has stuck as his public identity.

Hall is also a bestselling author, adding publishing success to his broadcasting career. According to reports, he is 60 years old, making him one of the older contestants to take on the competition.

His move from dog training to ballroom dancing marks a notable change of direction. Viewers who know him for calmly handling badly behaved dogs will now see him under a very different kind of pressure, swapping the training field for the dance floor. The BBC confirmed him as celebrity contestant number 11 for the 2026 series, and Hall himself has said he has signed up and could not wait to take part, according to the announcement.

The 2026 series: twenty-fourth run, September launch and Elstree return

The 2026 run of Strictly Come Dancing will be the programme's twenty-fourth series. It is scheduled to air in autumn 2026 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, with a launch show planned for September 2026. Production activity is under way at Elstree Studios, the programme's long-time home, according to reports.

The format remains familiar. Celebrities are paired with professional dancers, and each couple performs ballroom and Latin routines that are scored by a panel of judges. The pairings are revealed during the launch show, which sets the competitive series in motion over the weeks that follow.

For Hall, the twenty-fourth series represents a step into a very different television environment from the one he is used to. The launch show in September 2026 will mark the formal start of his involvement, when contestants are introduced to their professional partners and the full cast appears together for the first time. From there, the series runs through the autumn on BBC One, with episodes also available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

The announcement of Hall as the eleventh celebrity contestant forms part of the BBC's rolling reveal of the 2026 cast ahead of the September launch. Further names are expected to be confirmed before the series begins, completing the line-up for the twenty-fourth run.

1. September 2026

   A launch show is planned for the twenty-fourth series of Strictly Come Dancing.

2. autumn 2026

   The 2026 series of Strictly Come Dancing, featuring Graeme Hall as a contestant, is scheduled to air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

A new-look Strictly: Willis, Widdicombe and Radebe replace Daly and Winkleman

Hall's arrival comes as Strictly Come Dancing enters its twenty-fourth series with an entirely new presenting team. Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe have taken over as hosts following the departures of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who had fronted the programme together for years.

The change marks one of the most significant shake-ups in the show's history. Daly had been part of Strictly since its earliest days, while Winkleman became a fixture of the ballroom alongside her. Their exits leave the programme in new hands as it returns to screens.

Willis brings extensive presenting experience to the role, Widdicombe is best known as a comedian and broadcaster, and Radebe crosses over from within the Strictly family itself, having built a devoted following as one of the show's professional dancers. His move from the dance floor to the hosting desk is a first for the programme.

How the trio will divide presenting duties has not been detailed. The timing of Daly and Winkleman's departures, and of the new hosts' confirmation, has not been disclosed. What is clear is that when the launch show airs in September 2026, viewers will see a Strictly that looks markedly different from the one they last watched.

The line-up so far: Hall joins reported signings Turner and Goodrem

Hall is the eleventh celebrity to be confirmed for the 2026 series, joining a line-up that is still taking shape ahead of the autumn broadcast. The BBC has been announcing contestants one by one, and his signing brings the running total to eleven names.

Among those reported to be joining him in the ballroom are Lacey Turner and Delta Goodrem. According to reports, both have been lined up as contestants for the new series, though the BBC has not confirmed the full cast beyond the names announced so far.

That means much of the line-up remains unknown. With eleven celebrities confirmed and further announcements expected, the identities of the remaining contestants have yet to be revealed. Reports suggest Turner and Goodrem are part of the roster, but the complete list of famous faces who will take to the dance floor when the twenty-fourth series launches in September 2026 has not been made public.

The confirmed and reported names point to a cast drawn from across television, music and entertainment, in keeping with the programme's usual mix. Strictly traditionally reveals its contestants in the weeks leading up to the series launch, so further announcements are expected before the show returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer in autumn 2026.

Reaction: Hall's enthusiasm and a mixed response from fans

Hall himself has sounded an upbeat note about the challenge ahead. According to reports, the 60-year-old presenter said he was eager to begin his time on the show and could not wait to get started. He has also spoken of his excitement at swapping the training paddock for the ballroom, telling interviewers he could not wait to take part.

The reaction from viewers, however, has been less uniform. While many welcomed the news that the man known as 'The Dogfather' would be joining the competition, reports suggest some fans have expressed disappointment with the announced line-up for the 2026 series as a whole. The criticism has centred on the mix of names revealed so far rather than on Hall personally, with debate playing out across social media as each new contestant has been confirmed.

Hall, for his part, appears undeterred. Reports indicate he has embraced the announcement with characteristic good humour, and his supporters have pointed out that contestants with no dance background have often proved among the most popular with the Strictly audience.

What happens next: partner reveal and the road to the September launch

Several key details remain under wraps ahead of the autumn 2026 broadcast. Most notably, Graeme Hall's professional dance partner has yet to be announced. As with every series of Strictly Come Dancing, celebrities are paired with professional dancers to perform ballroom and Latin routines before a judging panel, but who will guide the dog trainer through his first steps in the ballroom is still unknown.

The exact date of the September 2026 launch show has also not been confirmed. The programme, which marks the start of the twenty-fourth series, is planned for that month, with the full run scheduled to air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in autumn 2026.

Nor is it yet known how Hall has been preparing for the competition. Those announcements are expected in the coming months as the series approaches its return.

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