Is THIS iconic Emmerdale Dingle legend joining Strictly Come Dancing? Fans are convinced!
11:03, 12 Jun 2026
Fans of Emmerdale reckon a Dingle legend is heading to the Strictly dance floor this year.
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The glitzy BBC One show returns to screens later this year for a brand new series – hosted by newbies Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe.
And already, the Beeb has announced several of its 2026 series stars, including reality star Dani Dyer and EastEnders icon Lacey Turner, who plays Stacey Slater on the BBC soap.
And now, fans are convinced another soap legend will be strutting their stuff on the dance floor: James Hooton, who plays Sam Dingle on Emmerdale.
James made his debut on the ITV soap in 1995 and has remained there ever since. Playing the beloved Sam, James has been involved in several big storylines.
But after Wednesday’s episode (June 10) of the soap, fans reckon the actor could be set for Strictly after a dapper-looking Sam was shown off his ballroom dancing skills while dancing with wife Lydia (Karen Blick) at Home Farm.
“I wonder if Sam’s doing Strictly,” said one person on an Emmerdale Facebook fan page. Someone else added: “Good call.” A third chimed in: “Haha…I think so too.” Another also penned: “I thought the same.”
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Should James appear on Strictly, he would be joining EastEnders actress Lacey Turner, who was the first famous face to be announced, as well as Love Island’s Dani Dyer, who is returning to the show after being forced to withdraw last year.
The former Love Island star and wife of West Ham footballer Jarod Bowen said of her return: “I am so excited to be back in the ballroom this September!
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“I just cannot wait to get my dancing shoes back on, and hopefully this time around I can actually make it to week one! I’m just over the moon and cannot wait to find out who else is doing it!”
Meanwhile, Lacey Turner said of her decision to sign up: “I am so excited to be making my way to the dance floor this year to be a part of Strictly Come Dancing! I am a huge fan and can’t quite believe I will be taking part and not watching at home this year! I look forward to meeting everyone and learning a new skill!”
Emmerdale airs Monday to Friday at 8:00pm on ITV1 and ITVX