Social media star and Love Island champion Cach Mercer is the fifth celebrity confirmed for Strictly Come Dancing 2026

Strictly Come Dancing 2026 is coming! The hotly anticipated new series is getting ready to light up Saturday and Sunday nights this autumn on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, with social media star and reigning Love Island-champion Cach Mercer joining the celebrity cast of 2026.

The news was announced on Thursday 9 July via @bbcstrictly’s official social channels on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube.

Cach rose to fame on last year's series of Love Island, winning the public vote to be crowned the 2025 male champion.

With almost 50 million likes on TikTok alone, Cash has earned a legion of social media followers for his posts showcasing his Afrobeat, hip-hop and street dance moves. Cach also works as a model and DJ, and is an ambassador for a young persons' mental health charity.

• Strictly Come Dancing 2026 celebrity contestants confirmed
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Cach Mercer says: “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!”

Cach joins Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem and Chris Appleton 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 iPlayer this September. Viewers can add the show to their watchlist on BBC iPlayer now.

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

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

GK

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