The Strictly Come Dancing 2026 couples were officially confirmed during Saturday night's launch show, with one same-sex pairing generating significant excitement among fans. Bethany Antonia, known for her role in House of the Dragon, has been paired with professional dancer Nancy Xu, marking the first same-sex couple on the show in three years.
The last same-sex couple to compete was Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin, who reached the final in 2023. Since the show's first same-sex pairing in 2020, several others have followed, including Nicola Adams and Katya Jones (2020), John Whaite and Johannes Radebe (2021), Jayde Adams and Karen Hauer (2022), and Richie Anderson and Giovanni Pernice (2022).
Fans react to the new pairing
Fans took to social media to express their enthusiasm for the partnership. Siobhan wrote on X: 'Strictly FINALLY having a female same sex pairing with finalist potential is AMAZING!! Nancy has been one of my favourite pros since the day she joined, I adore her energy and joy. Her and Bethany are going to be a special partnership and a VERY important one!!'
Other fans echoed similar sentiments, with one user commenting: 'I love Bethany and Nancy together they are so precious,' while another added: 'BETHANY AND NANCY OMG I just know they're about to be THE pairing for me this year.'
Nancy Xu's Strictly journey
Nancy Xu has been a professional dancer on Strictly since joining the show in 2019. She received her first celebrity partner in 2021, CBBC presenter Rhys Stephenson. Her last appearance with a partner was in 2024, when she competed with Shayne Ward. The 2026 series marks her return to the competition floor with Bethany Antonia.
Bethany Antonia, 28, has gained prominence for her role as Lady Baela Targaryen in House of the Dragon, the daughter of Matt Smith's Daemon Targaryen and stepdaughter of Emma D'Arcy's Rhaenyra Targaryen. She has also appeared in productions including Doctors, Get Even, Stay Close, and Nolly.
Bethany's excitement and support
When her casting was announced in July, Bethany said she 'couldn't believe' it. She stated: 'I have grown up watching Strictly, and I am so excited to take the challenge on and (hopefully!) learn a new skill. See you on the dancefloor!'
Just over a week ago, she shared a picture of herself in full Strictly glam on social media, captioning it: 'OKAY SO WE'RE DOING THIS.' Her House of the Dragon co-stars showed support in the comments, with Steve Toussaint writing 'Go on girl!!!' and Gayle Rankin expressing excitement. Russell T Davies commented 'So excited!!! Xxx,' and fellow competitor Dani Dyer added 'So so beautiful.'
Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday night on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
