Strictly Come Dancing 2026 Opener Review: A Bold New Era Begins in Series 24

The Strictly Come Dancing series opener for 2026 has now been broadcast – and it is something else. The show, which is now in its 24th season, opened with a launch show complete with celebrities, presenters, judges and professional dancers taking to the stage to present an opener which fans will be talking about for years to come. Like another of the BBC’s flagship shows, Doctor Who, Strictly has just undergone something of a regeneration. For readers outside the UK, Strictly is the British format that inspired the American hit Dancing with the Stars. This opener reflects the rebirth (renaissance?) of the show by introducing us (eventually) to the show’s new presenters, Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe. This change was reflected in the sharing of presenting duties during the show, which created a distinctly new feel. Back to the opener, a clapboard announces the show and the opening notes of Peter Gabriel’s Sledgehammer (was that chosen deliberately to indicate the…