Strictly Come Dancing announces Graeme 'The Dogfather' Hall as 11th contestant

Strictly Come Dancing announces Graeme 'The Dogfather' Hall as 11th contestant The latest Strictly Come Dancing contestant has been announced and will join EastEnders star Lacey Turner, pop singer Delta Goodrem and whole host of others in the star-studded lineup This Morning star Graeme 'The Dogfather' Hall has been announced as the eleventh contestant for Strictly Come Dancing. Bosses of the BBC Saturday night favourite have officially confirmed that Graeme, who is best known for providing advice about caring for dogs on ITV's morning show, is the latest celebrity to be gearing up to hit the dancefloor when all the action starts this September. In a statement, he said: "I can't believe I am joining the cast of Strictly for 2026. I have always loved dancing, so to have the opportunity to learn from the best in the business is a dream come true. I have watched the show for years, so to be a part of it feels like a very exciting challenge, albeit more than a bit nerve-wracking! I can't wait to get started. Bring it on!" The news comes shortly after it was announced that football legend Shaun Wright-Phillips, who previously played for Manchester City and England, had also joined the star-studded lineup. "Dancing is in my blood—but mainly at family events!" said Shaun. "Strictly is definitely outside my comfort zone, but I’m super excited to get started and really looking forward to the challenge!" Both of them will face competition from House of the Dragon star Bethany Antonia who also joined the line-up this year. She said: "I can’t quite believe that I will be heading to the Strictly ballroom this September! I have grown up watching Strictly, and I am so excited to take the challenge on and (hopefully!) learn a new skill. See you on the dancefloor!" Prior to that, actress Jaime Winstone, who played Barbara Windsor in BBC biopic Babs before taking on the late actress' EastEnders alter-ego Peggy Mitchell in a flashback episode, is also taking to the dancefloor. She said: "I am so excited to announce that I will be joining the Strictly Come Dancing cast this year. I am no stranger to a dance floor, but the ballroom is a whole new world for me. I love a challenge though, so can’t wait to enter my showgirl era and get super sparkly!! Let’s get physical – see you on the dance floor!" Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey, 48, has also been announced. The sports legend, who was born without her left hand, said she was excited, as she has "always loved watching Strictly". She also said she was doing it for her daughter Louisa, who "is a very talented dancer". Presenter Will Best, who is best known for fronting Big Brother alongside former Strictly star AJ Odudu, called doing the show a "dream" after he was revealed to part of the line-up. “I’ve been lucky to do lots of live telly before, but absolutely nothing like this. And I cannot wait!" he added. “I have no idea if I can actually dance, but bring on the sequins, bring on the quicksteps, bring on the dance floor! I’m going to try to enjoy every minute of it.” The other names announced include EastEnders star Lacey Turner, pop singer Delta Goodrem, Love Island winner Cach Mercer, Kim Kardashian's hairdresser Chris Appleton and Dani Dyer. Fans of the programme will remember was supposed to take part last year, but after suffering an injury in rehearsals, she was replaced by West End star Amber Davies, so is making a comeback this time round. This year seems to be shaping up to be different than any other, as professional dancers Gorka Marquez Karen Hauer, Nadiya Bychkova, Michelle Tsiakkas and Luba Mushtuk have all parted ways with the show. Johannes Radebe, who was a pro dancer last year, has stayed with the show, but will take on a new role, as he has been announced as one of the presenters. Join The Mirror’s WhatsApp Community or follow us on Google News, Flipboard, Apple News, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads - or visit The Mirror homepage.