Former England football star Shaun Wright-Phillips is the tenth celebrity announced for Strictly Come Dancing 2026

Strictly Come Dancing 2026 is coming! The hotly anticipated new series will light up Saturday and Sunday nights this autumn on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, with pundit and former England footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips joining the celebrity cast of 2026.

The news was announced on Thursday 30 July via @bbcstrictly’s official social channels on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube.

Shaun is a former footballer with 36 caps for England, across a professional career that also saw him play for Manchester City, Chelsea, Queens Park Rangers, and the USA’s New York Red Bulls and Phoenix Rising FC.

Now a football pundit and broadcaster, Shaun has worked with the likes of the BBC, Sky Sports, ITV, and the Premier League. Shaun has been a Manchester City club Ambassador since 2020, and is the son of football legend Ian Wright.

Shaun Wright-Phillips says: “Dancing is in my blood—but mainly at family events! Strictly is definitely outside my comfort zone, but I’m super excited to get started and really looking forward to the challenge!"

Shaun joins Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem, Chris Appleton, Cach Mercer, Will Best, Dame Sarah Storey, Jaime Winstone and Bethany Antonia in the 2026 Strictly Come Dancing line-up. Further news will be revealed throughout the summer ahead of the brand-new series getting underway on BBC One and BBC iPlayer this September. Viewers can add the show to their watchlist on BBC iPlayer now.

Strictly Come Dancing is a BBC Studios Entertainment production for BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

For all the latest breaking news from the ballroom check out our Strictly Come Dancing 2026 Everything You Need to Know guide.

LW

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