Female personal trainer, Becky, is based at a gym in Horsham, West Sussex. She specialises in rehabilitation for those who have lived experience of cancer, as well as improving the confidence of those who think that the gym is not for them. During the autumn and winter, her attention is often absorbed by “Strictly Come Dancing”, although this year she has spotted a problem…
This may now be quite a dated view, but I make no secret of the fact that I love Strictly Come Dancing. I’ve been watching it since the beginning, and whilst the production and narrative has changed a lot over time, my main reason for committing to the series remains the same. Glitter is my favourite colour, and as the nights draw in, taking us towards the winter festive season, I love the familiarity and general positivity in a world that can feel dark for several reasons.
Something I’ve taken issue with for a long time is lack of representation among the contestants, and this year I’d like to highlight a particular characteristic that hasn’t always been overlooked, but has struck me in 2026.
Representation in Strictly Come Dancing
This has been a problem in so many ways from day one, and the thread continues to run through the show. Some challenges have – to an extent – been overcome, but the producers are also woefully inconsistent. A particular example of this is gender identity – I spent a long time hoping for a drag performer of otherwise gender fluid or non-conforming person to be cast (albeit with the recognition that people in these categories may have turned the opportunity down without the wider world being aware, and that even if they accepted, the safeguarding that they required may not be available), and that has now happened a couple of times… only for us to once again lose that from the lineup in 2026.
Diversity of ethnicity of participants has also been a bigger problem than many realise. White people dominate the Strictly lineup every year, and when Black and Brown people are included, they are often subject to abuse, and despite significant talent, rarely make it to the latter stages of the competition. Additionally, several former participants – particularly from the early years of the show – have openly commented that suitable hair and makeup artists weren’t part of the crew, leading to them performing in looks that didn’t enhance their features in the same way that their White counterparts benefitted from.
It also wasn’t until many series in that someone with a visible disability was cast. Whilst the BBC has now been more consistent with this, it still doesn’t feel like an accurate proportion of the population is being represented and included.
And the same can be said for diversity of body sizes.
Dance and size
Traditionally, professional dancers in the Latin and Ballroom world are both slim and strong. Women generally need to be lifted, and men need to be strong enough to lift them. Dancers need a good level of cardiovascular fitness too, as dance is a high intensity sport. There’s also an argument that with dance being about being “aesthetically pleasing”, there is a perpetuation of a certain beauty standard at play, and this goes for the size of bodies as well as what they wear and how they are styled.
However, dancers do come in all shapes and sizes. Different styles promote different talents, and some people within the entertainment industry champion body diversity and look to hire dancers of different looks. This is a fairly recent trend, but things are nonetheless changing.
Strictly has often hired older people, and sometimes they have also been larger than the younger participants. Equally, “larger” in celebrity terms is often different to larger in the context of the general population. However, there have been some notable participants who didn’t meet the beauty standard in terms of their body size, and predictably they are often met with inappropriate questioning (such as, “how is her partner going to lift her?” when the celebrity is a woman). That said, I do think that this representation is important, and looking at the Class of 2026, I wonder what has happened.
Skinny culture in 2026
If you’ve looked at the news this year, it’s highly likely that you’ve seen a story about weight-loss medications. There’s no doubt that we’re in another era of thin being in, and many people are feeling the pressure to change the size of their bodies as a result.
Separately, Strictly has notoriously faced casting challenges during the last few years. Following a series of complaints from participants about the behaviour of their dance partner, and many professional dancers leaving the show as a result, there still seem to be issues with celebrities having the confidence to participate, unsure of how they may be treated. And so the pool of those willing to be chosen has almost certainly decreased in number, leaving the producers with fewer choices.
However, when we look at a lineup and consider what is missing rather than who is present, what stands out for me with Strictly 2026 is anyone who is significantly larger than their peers. The majority of the cast this year is quite slim, and that saddens me. It isn’t the fault of those who have been given the opportunity to participate, and I very much hope that they enjoy their experience, but I do also hope that the producers consider their options carefully when casting for 2027.
People of all shapes, sizes, and physical differences can and should participate in any activity that they wish to, and not seeing yourself represented in a high-profile environment makes that choice a lot harder.
