Strictly Come Dancing has unveiled Love Island star Cach Mercer as the latest celebrity set to join the show’s 2026 line-up.
The reality star rose to fame on last year’s series of the popular ITV dating show, and went on to win the show with now-ex Toni Laites.
In a statement he said: “I have grown up watching the show with my family and am so excited to now be part of the cast. Dancing is a huge passion of mine and I can’t wait to learn Ballroom and do the Foxtrot for the first time!”
The news was announced on Thursday 9 July through Strictly’s official social media accounts.
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Mercer is the fifth cast member to be confirmed, and joins the previously-announced Love Island star Dani Dyer, who was launched to stardom on the show in 2018 and went on to win that series alongside then-partner Jack Fincham.
Chris Appleton, Lacey Turner and Delta Goodrem have also been announced as part of the 2026 line-up.
Meanwhile, presenting the series this time around will be Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe, who were confirmed back in May to be replacing former hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
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The trio will be joined by professional dancers Dianne Buswell, Amy Dowden, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Aljaž Škorjanec, Jowita Przystał, Johannes Radebe, Nancy Xu, Kai Widdrington, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, Vito Coppola, Alexis Warr and Julian Caillon.
The rest of the 2026 cast is set to be announced throughout the summer and ahead of the show’s comeback on BBC One and iPlayer this September.
Strictly Come Dancing is available to watch on catch-up on BBC iPlayer.
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Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
