Dani Dyer leads the market ahead of the Strictly Come Dancing Launch this week.
The Strictly Come Dancing 2026 odds already point one way before a single live dance: Dani Dyer is the bookmakers’ favourite for the Glitterball. Lawrence Robb sits next on the board, with a deep field of soap stars, Olympians, reality winners and musicians still waiting to find out who they will dance with.
Fifteen celebrities are locked in for the new series on BBC One and iPlayer. The launch show lands Saturday 19 September at 7.25pm, and that night matters for the betting as much as the entertainment, because partners are still secret until then.
Strictly Come Dancing 2026 Winner Odds
Who is the Strictly Come Dancing 2026 Favourite To Win?
| Selection | Best Odds | Worst Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Dani Dyer | 4/1 | 5/2 |
| Lawrence Robb | 6/1 | 9/2 |
| Delta Goodrem | 8/1 | 11/2 |
| Lacey Turner | 9/1 | 9/2 |
| Tabby Stoecker | 9/1 | 6/1 |
| Cach Mercer | 12/1 | 13/2 |
| Will Best | 14/1 | 15/2 |
| John Nellis | 16/1 | 12/1 |
| Graeme Hall | 16/1 | 12/1 |
| Bethany Antonia | 16/1 | 7/1 |
| Jaime Winstone | 20/1 | 9/1 |
| Melanie Walters | 20/1 | 12/1 |
| Sarah Storey | 25/1 | 8/1 |
| Chris Appleton | 40/1 | 14/1 |
| Shaun Wright-Phillips | 40/1 | 11/1 |
Dani Dyer is red hot favourite at a best price of 4/1, and as short as 5/2 elsewhere. This is unfinished business. She was cast in 2025, then a fractured ankle ended her run before the live competition began. Her own line this year is simple: she wants to make it to week one.
Lawrence Robb (Emmerdale) is clear second at 6/1 best and 9/2 worst. Soap name recognition usually travels well with the public vote. Delta Goodrem (8/1 best) brings proper stage craft as a singer who has already done Eurovision this year. Lacey Turner (EastEnders’ Stacey) and Tabby Stoecker both sit at 9/1 best, but the spreads tell different stories. Turner can be as short as 9/2 at some books, while Stoecker’s floor is 6/1.
Further down, Love Island winner Cach Mercer (12/1) and Big Brother host Will Best (14/1) sit in the mid pack. Best’s timing is neat with Big Brother already back on air. John Nellis, Graeme Hall and Bethany Antonia cluster around 16/1 best. Longest on the board are Chris Appleton and Shaun Wright-Phillips at 40/1 best, though both have much tighter worst prices, so the outsider end of the market is all over the place depending which book you open.
Strictly Come Dancing Lineup
This cast is built for weekend TV arguments. You have two soap heavyweights (Turner and Robb), two elite athletes (Stoecker’s 2026 Winter Olympic skeleton gold and Dame Sarah Storey’s mountain of Paralympic titles), reality crossover names (Dyer, Mercer), and proper entertainment wattage in Goodrem, Winstone, Antonia and Walters. Athletic celebs often get talked up as technical threats. Soap and reality names often bank public votes when the scores get tight. That tension is what keeps a Strictly winner market alive for three months.
There is also a host reboot. Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe are the first presenting trio in the show’s history, with Radebe moving from pro to host rather than partnering a celebrity this year. Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke remain the judges. Five new pros join the returning lineup, which means more uncertainty around who lands whom, and partner quality still moves prices faster than almost anything else in week one.
What Happens on Strictly Launch Night
Celebrities and pros find out their partners live in the studio through three specially choreographed group dances in front of the audience, a fresh reveal format designed to put more dancing on screen before the competition proper. Until those names flash up, treat every price as a celebrities only view of the field.
Expect the Strictly Come Dancing odds to reshuffle once partnerships are public. A favourite paired with a title winning pro usually shortens. A fancied name with a less proven pairing can drift overnight. Check the live board on Oddschecker after the show before you lock anything in.
