Shaun Wright-Phillips swaps the football pitch for the Strictly ballroom

Highlights

• Former England footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips has joined Strictly Come Dancing 2026
• The ex-Manchester City and Chelsea winger is the 10th celebrity confirmed for the new series
• He says the BBC competition is "outside my comfort zone" but is looking forward to the challenge

Shaun Wright-Phillips is the latest celebrity to join the Strictly Come Dancing 2026 line-up, trading football boots for ballroom shoes as the BBC competition returns this autumn.

The former England international was announced as the 10th contestant on Thursday, joining a growing list of celebrities set to compete when the new series premieres on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in September.

'Outside my comfort zone'

Wright-Phillips, who earned 36 caps for England during his playing career, admitted dancing in front of the nation will be a new experience.

"Dancing is in my blood – but mainly at family events! Strictly is definitely outside my comfort zone, but I'm super excited to get started and really looking forward to the challenge!" he said.

The 44-year-old is the son of former England striker Ian Wright and enjoyed a successful club career with Manchester City, Chelsea, Queens Park Rangers, New York Red Bulls and Phoenix Rising.

From footballer to broadcaster

Since retiring from professional football, Wright-Phillips has built a career as a pundit and broadcaster, working with the BBC, Sky Sports, ITV and the Premier League. He has also served as a Manchester City club ambassador since 2020.

His addition continues the BBC show's tradition of welcoming high-profile names from the world of sport.

Who else is in the 2026 line-up?

Wright-Phillips joins an expanding celebrity cast that includes Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem, Chris Appleton, Cach Mercer, Will Best, Dame Sarah Storey, Jaime Winstone and Bethany Antonia.

The BBC has confirmed that more contestants will be revealed over the coming weeks ahead of the new series beginning in September.