Strictly Come Dancing 2026 contestant reveals advice from winner Karen Carney

New Strictly Come Dancing contestant Shaun Wright-Phillips has revealed the advice he got from last year's winner Karen Carney. The BBC dancing show is due to return to screens next week, with former footballer Shaun among the stars competing for the Glitterball Trophy.

One person whose advice would definitely be heeded is fellow footballer Karen, Shaun sharing what she told him ahead of his own stint.

"She said to just dive straight into it and don't hold back, so I’ll take that advice," he recalled. "I’m going to go for it and do the best I can."

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Opening up further about his nerves, Shaun admitted: "I don’t get overly nervous in general, but this is obviously something that’s really new to me.

"I’m not saying I won’t be nervous at all, but I’m here to do the best I can and I have people who are rooting for me, so what will be will be! Right now I feel pretty relaxed – but ask me the same question 10 minutes before the first live show and I might have a different answer! [laughs]."

Strictly is having quite a revamp this year, with new hosts Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe stepping in to oversee the show.

Opening up about the dynamic between the trio, Emma recently told The Rest in Entertainment podcast: "There's no like for like, so no one's kind of replacing anybody and at the minute it's all very kind of open.

"We're having lots of production days where we go in and we play around and we're kind of feeling each other out - well, they're feeling us out really."

Josh added that they will be "moving everywhere", while Emma denied previous reports Johannes would be a "roving reporter".

"There's definitely no backstage roving reporter, which is what has been reported quite a bit," she shared. "That's not a thing."

Strictly Come Dancing returns for its launch show on 19 September on BBC One and streams on BBC iPlayer.

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Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International.  Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every 't' and dotting every 'i' as a sub-editor.