Strictly Come Dancing has officially offered viewers their first glimpse of its new era, with a brand-new trailer revealing the show’s incoming presenters in action and announcing a major change to the format.

The BBC favourite is preparing for a significant transformation when it returns this autumn, with Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe taking over hosting duties following the departures of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.

And the new trailer suggests viewers can expect more than simply a change of faces at the front of the studio.

For the first time in Strictly history, the celebrity contestants will discover their professional dance partners in front of a live studio audience, rather than finding out through the traditional pre-recorded segments used in previous years.

The new format will see the celebrities introduced to their professional partners through three specially choreographed group dance routines.

Among the stars preparing to experience the new reveal are Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem and EastEnders actress Lacey Turner, all of whom are part of the 15-strong celebrity cast competing for the coveted glitterball trophy.

The move represents one of the most noticeable format changes in the show’s long history and is part of an extensive overhaul for its 24th series.

The trailer gives fans their first proper look at Willis, Widdicombe and Johannes working together as the new presenting team.

It also features the show’s familiar judging panel, with Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke returning to their seats.

The judges are shown dancing alongside the show’s professional performers, offering viewers a glimpse of the glamorous spectacle that will accompany the launch.

While much of the judging team remains unchanged, the professional line-up has also undergone a significant transformation.

Five new dancers are joining the programme following the departures of Nadiya Bychkova, Karen Hauer, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk and Michelle Tsiakkas.

The new professionals are Aleksandra Isaeva, Cristian Priori, Lethabo Monametsi, Maddie Ingoldsby and Mark Karmalita.

Their arrival marks another major change to a programme that has spent more than two decades building a familiar cast of professional dancers who have become celebrities in their own right.

The new series will officially begin on Saturday, September 19, with the launch episode providing the first opportunity for viewers to see how the revamped format works.

Last year’s champion, Lioness Karen Carney, will also return for the opening show.

Carney will perform alongside her former professional partner, Carlos Gu, giving fans a chance to see the reigning winner back on the dance floor before the new contestants begin their own journeys.

The competitive live shows will then begin the following week, with Strictly airing live every Saturday and Sunday through to Christmas.

The BBC has now confirmed the full cast for the upcoming series, bringing together an unusually broad mix of television personalities, actors, musicians, sporting figures and online stars.

Dani Dyer will be among the most recognisable names for viewers, while Delta Goodrem brings an international music career and a previous connection to British television through her role as Nina Tucker in Neighbours.

Lacey Turner is another familiar face, having spent years playing Stacey Slater on EastEnders.

The cast also includes Melanie Walters, best known for playing Gwen West in Gavin & Stacey, as well as actor Jaime Winstone.

Football fans will recognise former Manchester City and Chelsea player Shaun Wright-Phillips, while Paralympic champion Dame Sarah Storey brings an impressive sporting record to the ballroom.

But Strictly is also deliberately embracing a younger and more digitally focused generation of celebrities.

Celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton will take part, alongside Love Island contestant Cach Mercer and television presenter Will Best.

House of the Dragon actor Bethany Antonia will also swap the fantasy world of Westeros for the Strictly dance floor.

Completing the cast are Winter Olympic gold medallist Tabby Stoecker, dog expert Graeme Hall, Emmerdale actor Lawrence Robb and football content creator John Nellis.

The mixture of established television personalities, sporting champions, reality stars and online creators demonstrates just how much the programme is attempting to broaden its appeal.

That strategy has already generated plenty of discussion, particularly because the 2026 cast is younger and more heavily influenced by social media than previous Strictly line-ups.

The new hosts themselves are also part of that broader attempt to give the programme a fresh identity.

Willis has been a familiar face on British television for years and has hosted ITV’s The Voice, but taking over on Strictly represents a very different challenge.

She has openly acknowledged the enormous legacy left behind by Daly and Winkleman.

The presenter described herself as a “huge fan” of Strictly and said she still “can’t quite comprehend” that she is now presenting the programme.

She also recognised that following two presenters who became synonymous with Strictly would be difficult.

“It’s impossible to fill the shoes that Tess and Claudia have left behind,” Willis said, describing them as “two wonderful, iconic women who have been the beating heart of Strictly for so long.”

Her comments underline the scale of the challenge facing the new trio.

Daly had presented the show since its earliest years, while Winkleman’s distinctive humour and personality made her one of the most recognisable figures associated with the programme.

Replacing both at the same time was always going to attract intense scrutiny.

Widdicombe brings a very different style to the programme.

The comedian and presenter is best known for The Last Leg and has also appeared as an actor, including in Ted Lasso.

Johannes, meanwhile, represents perhaps the most unexpected appointment of all.

Having joined Strictly as a professional dancer in 2018, the South African performer became one of the show’s most beloved figures before moving into the presenting role.

His transition means he already understands the programme from the inside and has years of experience working with celebrities, professionals and the production team.

For many Strictly fans, his presence could therefore provide a reassuring link between the old show and the new version.

The changes are not limited to the main programme either.

The BBC has also confirmed a new presenter for its companion show, It Takes Two.

Ellie Taylor, the comedian, presenter and Ted Lasso actor who competed on Strictly herself in 2022, will take over the programme.

She replaces Fleur East and Janette Manrara, bringing her own experience as a former contestant to the role.

Taylor’s involvement gives her a useful perspective on the nerves and uncertainty faced by the celebrities as they enter the competition.

She has already experienced the pressure of performing on the Strictly dance floor, meaning she will now be able to approach the companion show from the other side.

For viewers, however, the biggest question may be whether all these changes work together.

Strictly has spent years establishing a very recognisable formula.

The presenters, judges, professional dancers, celebrity contestants and elaborate live shows have traditionally followed a familiar pattern, giving the programme a sense of comfort that has helped it become one of Britain’s biggest Saturday-night television events.

Changing the hosts and the partner-reveal format at the same time is therefore a significant gamble.

The new group dances could make the launch episode feel more theatrical and unpredictable, particularly because the celebrities will not simply be introduced to their partners through a pre-recorded announcement.

Instead, viewers will experience the reveal alongside the contestants in the studio.

That could create a greater sense of occasion and allow the launch to become more of a live event.

At the same time, the new professional dancers will have to establish themselves quickly with an audience that has become deeply attached to the show’s familiar faces.

The return of Carney and Gu could help provide some continuity, while the presence of the existing judging panel ensures that at least one major part of the programme remains recognisable.

Ultimately, though, the spotlight will fall on Willis, Widdicombe and Johannes.

Their chemistry could determine whether the new era immediately feels natural or whether viewers spend the opening weeks comparing them with the presenters who came before.

The BBC clearly hopes the revamped format will give Strictly a fresh sense of energy while preserving the magic that has kept the programme on air for more than two decades.

The first trailer certainly suggests that the new team is ready to embrace the challenge.

With 15 celebrities waiting to discover their professional partners, five new dancers joining the cast, a new presenting trio and a new approach to the launch itself, there is little doubt that Strictly will look different when it returns.

But whether audiences embrace the changes is another matter entirely.

Strictly Come Dancing will begin its new chapter on BBC One on Saturday, September 19 at 7.25pm.

For fans who have watched the show evolve over 24 series, the opening night promises to be more than just another launch.

It will be the moment viewers finally discover whether Strictly’s bold new makeover has managed to preserve the magic of the original — or whether the BBC has changed one of Britain’s most familiar television institutions beyond recognition.