Strictly fans slam ‘disappointing’ week one dances after full line-up is revealed

Strictly 2026 is already proving to be a divisive one (Picture: BBC/Ray Burmiston/Artwork – BBC Creative) Strictly Come Dancing viewers are already proving to be a tough crowd to please ahead of the first 2026 live show. Last weekend, Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe made their debuts as the new presenters, having picked up the torch from veteran hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. The reaction was mixed, to say the least, as while many praised season broadcaster Emma for slotting right into their glittery shoes, it seems Josh and Johannes still need to win audiences over. And now, fans have found something else ‘baffling’ as the couples prepare to take to the dance floor for the first time, grooving to tunes by Harry Styles, Katseye, Robbie Williams, and more. Upon the celebrities’ routines being revealed after a week of tiresome training, social media users expressed ‘disappointment’ over the lack of ‘variety’ for week one. Get personalised updates on Strictly Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro’s TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we’ll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. Taking to Reddit, jazzyc11 noted that nine of the 15 routines are Latin style – including the cha cha and samba – meaning those nine couples will likely switch to ballroom next weekend. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video They also noticed ‘not a single waltz’ was listed in either style, prompting a slew of comments from other viewers with opinions. ‘Coming from America who started watching strictly last year I was excited to finally start watching some Waltz because dwts never does the slow Waltz and I was disappointed with how very few there were I was expecting more’, wrote Empty_Position_4082. ‘So. Many. Cha Cha Chas 😫’, BeanOnAJourney complained, adding that they ‘really hate it’. For week one, four stars will dance the cha cha: Lacey Turner, Melanie Walters, Graeme Hall, and Shaun Wright-Phillips. Lumpy_Masterpiece644 suggested that bosses have chosen the ‘crowd-pleasing big bombs’ for the inaugural dances, having already fallen victim to headlines and internet commentaries on the show’s future. ‘Yeah that’s what it looks like. I’m sure it’ll go down well but then in a few weeks when all the high energy dances die down I don’t think the general public will be impressed,’ agreed jazzyc11. The feedback hasn’t all been bad, though, as when the first dances were shared by the Strictly Instagram page – albeit in a new, divisive format – many users appeared excited. Strictly week one dances Bethany & Nancy: Quickstep to Celeste – Stop This Flame Will & Dianne: Samba to Robbie Williams – Rock DJ Melanie & Aljaz: Cha Cha to Elton John & Kiki Dee – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart Chris & Amy: Tango to Alice Merton – No Roots Dani & Nikita: Samba to Zara Larsson – Lush Life John & Katya: Foxtrot to Alex Warren – Ordinary Tabby & Mark: Jive to KATSEYE – Animal Graeme & Lauren: Cha Cha to Hound Dog Cach & Maddie: Quickstep to Bruno Mars – I Just Might Delta & Kai: Samba to Barbatuques – Baianá Jaime & Carlos: Tango to Donna Summer – I Feel Love Shaun & Alexis: Cha Cha to Paul Russell – Lil Boo Thang Lawrence & Jowita: Paso Doble to Harry Styles – Aperture Sarah & Julian: Quickstep to Kay Starr – C’est Magnifique Lacey & Vito: Cha Cha to Whitney Houston – How Will I Know ‘Good luck everyone! Looking forward to watching the show! 💃’, commented @hurst_jen. ‘So excited to see them all’, echoed @eibhlin.ryan, while @ryan.glendenning58 praised: ‘Such a great mix of songs and dances for Week 1. Good luck everyone! 👏🏼👏🏼’ Understandably, nerves will be high this weekend, but the couples can at least rest assured that there won’t be any eliminations. However, judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke will still be dishing out their critiques and scores, with the totals combined next Saturday before the public vote opens. Tonight will also mark the debut routines from two of the new professional dancers, as Canadian pro Mark Karmalita takes to the floor with Tabby Stoecker and Maddie Ingoldsby debuts with Cach Mercer. A total of five new pros were added to the Strictly roster this season after a mass cull of fan-favourite stars. New hosts Josh Widdicombe, Emma Willis, and Johannes Radebe admitted their nerves ahead of the first live show (Picture: Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire) Joining Mark and Maddie are Aleksandra Isaeva, Cristian Priori, and Lethabo Monametsi, who replaced axed pros Karen Hauer, Nadiya Bychkova, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, and Michelle Tsiakkas as part of the major shake-up. Speaking of shake-ups, it’ll be all eyes on the new hosting trio once again this evening, all of whom have already admitted to feeling the pressure. Comedian Josh told the BBC that the experience is likely to feel ‘utterly surreal’, confessing: ‘Will it ever stop being terrifying? I hope not, because hosting something like this should be the best kind of terrifying.’ Emma, who is no stranger to fronting a renowned talent show thanks to her stint on The Voice UK, also said she’s feeling ‘a little nervous’, teasing, ‘who knows what’s going to happen?’ while Johannes quipped that he’s ‘pretending to be very calm’. The choreographer and performer, who joined Strictly as a professional in 2018 and made history with the first male-male pairing in 2021, added: ‘The launch show was my first proper taste of this new chapter, but the live shows are the real thing. ‘There’s nowhere to hide, so I’m going to have to trust my preparation, trust the team, and trust myself.’ Strictly Come Dancing airs tonight on BBC. Deals of the Day I tried L'Oréal Paris's new PDRN serum and my skin looked glossier after one use This new Cricut gadget turns your favourite photos into stickers in minutes From kitchen hatches to burgundy walls – the biggest home trends for 2027 Oodie’s cosy blanket sale has arrived just in time for Christmas shopping Save over £700 on Simba's top-rated mattresses in this limited-time sale Arrow MORE: Is Casualty on tonight? 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