STRICTLY SHAKE-UP – Anton Du Beke Confirms He Is Stepping Away From the BBC Show Ahead of the 2026 Series
Anton Du Beke has confirmed a major change to his role on Strictly Come Dancing as the BBC show prepares for another heavily revamped series.
The longtime ballroom favourite will not return as a professional dancer for the 2026 competition.
Instead, Anton will remain firmly behind the judges’ desk alongside Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse when the new series begins.
The decision marks another significant step in Anton’s evolution on the programme after years spent competing with celebrity partners on the dancefloor.
While viewers will no longer see him taking part as one of the professionals, his continued role as a judge means one of Strictly’s most familiar faces will still be at the heart of the Saturday night show.
For longtime fans, it also appears to draw a clearer line under Anton’s days as a competing professional.
Anton’s Strictly Future Becomes Clear
Anton has been closely associated with Strictly for years, becoming one of the programme’s most recognisable personalities through his ballroom experience, humour and partnerships with a long list of celebrity contestants.
His transition onto the judging panel gave him a different role within the competition, allowing him to assess performances rather than prepare for them himself.
Now, ahead of the 2026 series, that position appears to be his permanent home on the programme.
The change comes at a time when Strictly itself is undergoing one of its biggest shake-ups in years.
Several established professional dancers will not return to the line-up.
Karen Hauer, Gorka Márquez, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk and Michelle Tsiakkas have all departed ahead of the new series, creating space for a different generation of professionals to step forward.
Anton’s move away from the professional roster therefore forms part of a much wider transformation taking place behind the scenes.
Major Changes Across the BBC Show
The judging panel will remain familiar, with Anton joined once again by Shirley, Craig and Motsi.
Elsewhere, however, viewers will notice major differences.
The BBC has confirmed that Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe will take over presenting duties following the departures of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
Johannes’ new role represents another notable change, as he moves away from competing as a professional dancer to become part of the presenting team.
The shake-up means the 2026 edition will feature significant changes both in front of and behind the cameras.
For Anton, however, the transition is far less dramatic than a full departure.
Although he will no longer be stepping onto the dancefloor as one of the professionals, he will continue offering his ballroom knowledge from the judging panel every week.
That continuity is likely to reassure viewers who have watched him become part of the fabric of the programme over the years.
New Series Just Days Away
The revamped series is scheduled to launch on September 19, with the first live show following a week later on September 26.
By then, viewers will have seen the new presenting team take charge, the refreshed professional line-up introduced and this year’s celebrity partnerships revealed.
Anton will be watching it all from a very different position to the one in which many viewers first came to know him.
His days of competing for the Glitterball alongside a celebrity partner may now be behind him, but his role within Strictly remains secure.
Rather than leaving the programme, Anton appears to have moved into a new phase of his Strictly career.
And with his judging seat confirmed for 2026, fans can expect his critiques, ballroom expertise and familiar personality to remain a major part of the show even as almost everything around him continues to change.
