Who is Lawrence Robb and is he leaving Emmerdale to do Strictly Come Dancing?

Lawrence will be taking part in this year’s Strictly (Picture: BBC / ITV / Metro) Lawrence Robb is swapping Emmerdale’s fields for the ballroom at Elstree as he gets ready to compete for the Glitterball Trophy in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing. The actor, 34, is one of several soap stars taking part in the BBC One dance competition, which returns to screens with brand new hosts in Josh Widdecombe, Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe, who replace long-time show presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. ‘I can’t quite believe that I am going to be getting my dancing shoes on this September on one of my favourite shows of all time!,’ said Lawrence when news of his casting was announced. ‘It’s a dream come true, and I can’t wait to bring my all to ballroom. ‘Wish me luck, and any advice is very welcome – trust me, I’ll need it!’ During the launch show, Lawrence was paired with professional dancer Jowita Przystał and they will take to the dancefloor for their first routine this Saturday. 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. If you recognise Lawrence but can’t remember from where or if you’d just like to know a bit more about who he is – or if you’re among the fans worried about what him taking part means for his future in the Dales – then you’re in luck as we’ve got everything you need to know. Who is Lawrence Robb as he takes part in Strictly Come Dancing 2026? Lawrence Robb is a Scottish actor, best known to audiences for having played the role of Mackenzie Boyd in Emmerdale since 2020. Prior to landing the part on Emmerdale, he appeared in an episode of I Hate Suzie and short film The Trouble Downstairs and has taken part in numerous stage shows including Legally Blonde and Into The Woods. Lawrence has been an Emmerdale mainstay for six years (Picture: Ken McKay / ITV / Shutterstock) Lawrence’s debut Emmerdale scenes saw him cross paths with Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) – and it didn’t take long for chemistry to sizzle. Shortly afterwards, it was revealed that he was the secret brother of show mainstay Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb). Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. Mack has featured in numerous storylines over the years, from his whirlwind romance with Charity to being taken prisoner by killer John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth), having a secret baby with Chloe Harris (Jessie Elland) and finding out wife Charity cheated on him with her ex Ross Barton (Michael Parr). Mack has featured in many key Emmerdale stories – including being held prisoner by a serial killer (Picture: ITV) To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Lawrence also played the role of Mack in Emmerdale’s historic crossover episode with Coronation Street, Corriedale, earlier this year. Away from Emmerdale, he is also a singer and has shared videos of himself duetting with co-star Bradley Johnson (Vinny Dingle). Is Lawrence Robb leaving Emmerdale to do Strictly? ITV soap future explained Fans have been fearful that Lawrence will be leaving his role as much-loved character Mack in order to do Strictly. Emmerdale and Coronation Street stars don’t typically stay on their respective ITV soaps while competing on the BBC One dance competition. Lawrence said: ‘For the next couple of months, alongside strutting my stuff on the Emmerdale fields, I’m going to be strutting my stuff on the dancefloor. ‘It’s very exciting, but I’m terrified’. Co-star Emma Atkins – who plays Charity – confirmed that he will be written out, telling The Sun: ‘We were filming a scene where we had to get him out so he could go and do it as he’d just got the phone call [from Strictly] and they wrote him out very quickly.’ To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Full list of Strictly 2026 contestants and pro dancer pairings Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu John Nellis and Katya Jones Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita Will Best and Dianne Buswell Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon Keep up with all the Strictly 2026 updates here Mack is currently at the centre of a big storyline onscreen, with wife Charity in prison for the murder of rapist Dr Todd (Caroline Harker) – a crime which was actually carried out by Sarah Sugden (Katie Hill). Sarah threw gran Charity under the bus when she discovered the truth about her own baby’s parentage. Enraged that Charity had lied to her, Sarah told the police Charity committed the crime in cold blood. Lawrence is currently in a big Emmerdale storyline, with Mack desperate to get wife Charity out of prison (Picture: ITV Mack, meanwhile, has urged Sarah to change her statement back but even after he managed to make her see sense, he was told that Charity isn’t getting released – and that it’s likely a jury will decide her fate. 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 Strictly Come Dancing begins Saturday September 19 at 7:25pm on BBC One. Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 or stream from 7am on YouTube and ITVX. If you’ve got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@metro.co.uk – we’d love to hear from you. Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage. 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