JAN MOIR: Celebrities? There are more stars in my local Waitrose than on the latest series of Strictly Come Dancing!

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By JAN MOIR, DAILY MAIL COLUMNIST

Published: 00:23 BST, 20 September 2026 | Updated: 00:23 BST, 20 September 2026

Things have reached a sorry pass when it is not the contestants but the dance show itself which is on its last legs, but this is where we are with Strictly.

Now in its 24th series, this former jewel in the BBC’s crown returned on Saturday night, a tarnished tiara in comparison to the sparkle of its former greatness. 

The line-up boasted three new hosts and five new pro dancers plus a Niagara of nonentities vying for the glitterball trophy, thundering about in their freshly unboxed jazz shoes like wildebeest.

Even with my star-spotting lorgnettes perched eagerly on nostrils professionally primed for any sniff of celebrity, the view from the sofa was disappointing.

Who were these duds in the fringed frocks and spangled shirts? The class of 2026 includes Hollywood ‘hair king’ Chris Appleton; content creator John Nellis; the omelette lady from Gavin & Stacey, a ‘philanthropist’ called Delta; a random called Cach from Love Island; someone named Graeme who is a ‘canine expert’; plus a total Dingle from Emmerdale, if you get my drift.

As they paraded through the ballroom of broken dreams, they made Cuthbert, Dibble and Grubb seem like A-list movie stars clamouring around an Oscar podium. Earlier on Saturday night there were more celebrities in my local branch of Waitrose than there were on this show, and I’m not even joking.

A new era needs new hosts, and television personality Emma Willis, former Strictly professional Johannes Radebe and comedian Josh Widdicombe seemed absolutely thrilled to be there – and it was nice that someone was.

‘Never in a million years did I think it would be the three of us standing in this spot,’ said Johannes, who spoke for us all.

Dani Dyer and professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin star in this year's series of Strictly 

Television personality Emma Willis (pictured, centre), former Strictly professional Johannes Radebe (right) and comedian Josh Widdicombe (left) seemed absolutely thrilled to be there – and it was nice that someone was

The class of 2026 boasted three new hosts and five new pro dancers plus a Niagara of nonentities vying for the glitterball trophy

Perhaps it is too soon to judge, but the three-presenter format seems awkward and forced. 

Emma is a total pro, even if she did ask someone from EastEnders if ‘being in the ballroom is very different from home life for you’. Yet neither Johannes’ muddy diction nor Josh’s sniggering are alluring. 

Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly left last year – perhaps they felt they’d had more than enough after a series of scandals rocked the show and made many faithful fans lose faith. 

I won’t miss Tess – there are fringed lampshades with more to contribute to showbusiness – but Claudia undeniably brought an irreplaceable spark, wit and style. She has gone off to Celebrity Traitors, and the tragedy and irony is that she has taken all the celebrities with her. 

Look at the stars appearing on that series this season – including James Blunt, Jerry Hall, Michael Sheen and Ross Kemp. Once, this would have been the dream Strictly line-up, but that is the problem. Now, with plummeting viewing figures and a lustre that’s lacking, Strictly can only dream. 

Yet there is still much to admire in this family-friendly show. The sheer creative power and energy of the production team who put this behemoth together every year is wondrous to behold – Saturday night’s six-minute opening number was testament to the skill and talent of all involved. 

Just look at the costumes, the hair, the make-up, the music, the lighting, the dancing, the choreography! These elements are still tremendous, the BBC at its best. 

Yet the new way of pairing the couples seemed unnecessarily complicated, and why is everything so shrieky and LOUD? 

There are 13 weeks to go until the final, so time will tell if any of these changes will work. Yet the truth is that Strictly feels like it has overstayed its welcome. 

When it launched in 2004, Tony Blair was our prime minister and Facebook had just been launched. It was a long, long time ago. For how much longer can Strictly stagger on?