SH0CK: Strictly Come Dancing’s Shaun Wright-Phillips admits he is “very scared” as he unexpectedly reveals something.
Shaun Wright-Phillips may have spent years performing under pressure for England and Manchester City, but the former footballer admits Strictly Come Dancing is taking him somewhere completely unfamiliar.
The 44-year-old pundit and broadcaster is among the celebrities preparing for the BBC competition’s 2026 launch show on Saturday, September 19, and he has already acknowledged that stepping onto the ballroom floor feels very different from anything he experienced during his playing career.
Wright-Phillips, who scored six goals in 36 appearances for England, described joining Strictly as “definitely out of my comfort zone”.
Still, that appears to be exactly why he signed up.
“I wanted to challenge myself and learn something new,” he said ahead of the launch.
For now, the former winger insists he is feeling relatively calm. But he admitted that confidence could disappear very quickly when the first live performance arrives.
“Right now I feel pretty relaxed – but ask me the same question 10 minutes before the first live show and I might have a different answer,” he joked.
Family Reaction Has Shaun Slightly Worried
Wright-Phillips has already received plenty of encouragement from friends and relatives, although their enthusiasm has created another source of pressure.
He revealed that his inbox quickly filled with requests for tickets once people learned he would be taking part.
“Everyone was crazy excited,” he said. “I’ve received a really nice amount of support so far.”
His mother is particularly pleased to see him joining the programme, while Wright-Phillips also hopes his children enjoy watching him try something completely different.
“I know my mum is over the moon that I’m doing it,” he said. “I guess it will be nice for my kids to see their dad moving some shapes on TV too.”
However, their support may come with plenty of opinions.
Wright-Phillips admitted he was “dreading” hearing his family’s assessment of his dancing and joked that they could end up being every bit as demanding as the official judging panel.
“I’m sure they’ll be giving me as much feedback as the Strictly judges,” he said.
Former Champion Offers One Simple Piece of Advice
Wright-Phillips has also received guidance from someone who knows exactly what it takes to succeed in the ballroom.
Karen Carney, who won the previous series alongside professional dancer Carlos Gu, encouraged her fellow former footballer not to hold back.
“She said to just dive straight into it and don’t hold back,” Wright-Phillips revealed.
It is advice he intends to follow.
“I’m going to go for it and do the best I can,” he said.
Rather than overanalysing every step of the experience, Wright-Phillips plans to “go with the flow”, learn as much as possible and enjoy meeting people along the way.
The former England international is the adopted son of football legend Ian Wright and spent much of his career operating in the intense environment of elite sport. Ballroom dancing, however, remains almost entirely new territory.
That uncertainty is part of the attraction.
Wright-Phillips said he wants to develop new skills and “have as much fun as possible” while seeing how far he can go in the competition.
He joins a celebrity cast that includes Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem, Chris Appleton, Cach Mercer, Will Best, Dame Sarah Storey, Jaime Winstone, Bethany Antonia, Graeme Hall, Lawrence Robb, Tabby Stoecker, John Nellis and Melanie Walters.
The professional line-up includes familiar faces such as Dianne Buswell, Amy Dowden, Katya Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Jowita Przystał, Carlos Gu and Vito Coppola, alongside five new professionals: Aleksandra Isaeva, Cristian Priori, Lethabo Monametsi, Maddie Ingoldsby and Mark Karmalita.
The new series also introduces a major presenting change, with Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe becoming the first three-person hosting team in the programme’s history.
For Wright-Phillips, though, the biggest test will come when the music starts. Years of football may have taught him how to handle pressure, but he already knows that standing backstage moments before his first live dance could be a very different feeling.
