Chris Appleton arrives at the Spotify Best New Artist Party on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Andrew Park/Invision/AP)Celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton has become the fourth celebrity confirmed for this year’s season of Strictly Come Dancing.
Following the announcement on Friday, Chris enthused: “I’m thrilled to be joining Strictly Come Dancing and coming home to the UK for this incredible experience.
“I’ve always believed that the best things happen when you take a chance and try something new. I may know my way around a salon floor, but the dance floor is a whole different story – and I can’t wait to get started.”
Now a prominent figure on social media, Chris rose to fame thanks to his collaborations with famous clients like Jennifer Lopez, Ariana Grande and, most notably, Kim Kardashian.
He was also briefly a tabloid staple thanks to his whirlwind relationship with the White Lotus actor Lukas Gage, to whom he was married for around eight months in 2023.
Chris joins the existing Strictly line-up for 2026, which currently consists of the EastEnders staple Lacey Turner, former Love Island winner Dani Dyer and Australian pop singer Delta Goodrem.
Dani was originally booked to compete on Strictly last year, but had to pull out days before the first live show due to injury.
Strictly fans were shocked just over a week ago when the first casting announcements were made around two months earlier than usual.
While Lacey, Dani and Delta were unveiled for the line-up within days of each other, Chris’ participation was confirmed a full week after the last casting announcement.
In a press release, the BBC said that “further news about Strictly Come Dancing 2026 will be revealed throughout the summer ahead of the brand-new series” which is due to begin airing in September.
Other names heavily rumoured to be hitting the ballroom this time around include Paralympic gold medallist Dame Sarah Storey and TV personality Jeff Brazier.
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