Dame Sarah Storey is swapping the world of elite sport for sequins, fake tan and the Strictly Come Dancing dancefloor.
The Paralympic champion has joined the class of 2026 after stepping down from competition, giving her the chance to take part in the BBC show she has wanted to do for years.
Read more: Strictly Come Dancing 2026 start date, presenters, celebrities, judges and pros
Sarah admitted she did not hesitate when the Strictly team contacted her, despite having never experienced anything quite like the dance competition before.
Who is Dame Sarah Storey?
Dame Sarah Storey is a decorated Paralympic athlete who has competed at the highest level of sport.
After years of competing during the autumn, Sarah said she was unable to accept the opportunity to take part in Strictly Come Dancing in previous years.
Having now stepped down from competition, she felt the timing was finally right.
"It is a show I have wanted to do for a long time but every other year I have been competing in the autumn and so couldn't ever say yes. Now I have stepped down from competition it was the perfect time, so when the Strictly team contacted me I didn't hesitate to say yes please!"
Why is Sarah Storey doing Strictly Come Dancing?
Sarah said Strictly is something she has wanted to do for a long time, but her sporting commitments previously made it impossible.
Now she has stepped away from competitive sport, she is ready to challenge herself in an entirely different environment.
She admitted she is feeling both nervous and excited about joining the Strictly class of 2026.
"I am looking forward to working with the professionals and getting to know a whole new world that these incredible people have excelled in."
Sarah is particularly excited about learning from the professional dancers and meeting a completely new group of people.
She also joked that she is looking forward to entering her "glittery and fake tan era!"
What is Sarah Storey most nervous about on Strictly?
Despite her experience competing at the highest level of sport, Sarah admits that dancing live on national television is completely outside her comfort zone.
She explained that competing as an athlete gave her years of preparation and a clear understanding of what she was working towards.
"This is a different type of experience and competition to being an athlete though, because the preparation is completely led by others and as an athlete we are used to knowing our events inside out and having more understanding of what good looks like."
Sarah said it will be strange to compete in something she knows nothing about, but believes that is also part of what makes the experience exciting.
"It's completely out of my comfort zone to be on national tv doing a competition I know nothing about! But that's one of the reasons I am so excited too!"
What Strictly dance does Sarah Storey want to perform?
Sarah already has one particular dance in mind after watching Karen and Carlos perform a Paso Doble last year.
She was in the ballroom when they performed the routine and described it as "truly incredible".
"Gosh, I am spoilt for choice, but I was in the Ballroom for Karen and Carlos's Paso Doble last year and that was truly incredible, so getting to do a Paso Doble would be amazing."
Sarah is also keeping her dream music choice relatively open, with Kylie or Take That among the artists she would like to dance to.
"The one that gets me the highest score! Perhaps something by Kylie or Take That!"
How did Sarah Storey's family react to her Strictly news?
Sarah's family and friends were thrilled when her Strictly appearance was announced.
She was working backstage at the English Youth Ballet's production of Swan Lake at the time, where her daughter was performing.
Sarah recalled opening the dressing room door to find the company and crew jumping up and down with excitement.
Her daughter simply said "Finally!" while her son responded with "that's a good plan!"
Sarah's dad even offered to teach her to dance, although she joked that nobody had ever seen him perform a dad dance.
Her husband already knew about the Strictly secret and had been in on the announcement from the start.
Sarah has also received plenty of messages wishing her luck since the news was revealed.
Will Sarah Storey's daughter judge her Strictly dancing?
Sarah is expecting some particularly honest feedback from her daughter, who is a talented dancer and ballerina.
She admitted that she knows she will be receiving the "most honest and brutal feedback" from her daughter throughout the competition.
When asked how her family and friends would describe her dancing skills, Sarah had a typically blunt response.
"Limited!"
What is Sarah Storey hoping to achieve on Strictly?
Sarah is not simply looking to compete, with the former athlete keen to enjoy the experience and learn more about dance.
She wants to find out more about the world of dance and the people she will be working with during her time on the show.
"Have fun, learn something new and find out more about the world of dance and the people I'll have the privilege to work with. I think it's good to challenge yourself, and there's no better place to do that than live on national TV!"
Can Sarah Storey use her Paralympic experience on Strictly?
Sarah believes some of the psychological skills she developed during her sporting career could prove useful on the Strictly dancefloor.
She expects being able to focus on the things she can control and remain calm under pressure to be transferable from elite sport to live television.
Her work ethic and pain threshold could also help, while she hopes her physical fitness will give her an advantage because of the demands of dancing.
"I should imagine the psychological skills to focus on the controllable parts of the process and attempt to remain calm will be transferable, as well as the work ethic and pain threshold. Dancing is physically demanding too, so I hope my physical fitness will transfer as well"
Sarah Storey: Strictly Come Dancing 2026
For Sarah, dancing live on television could prove more nerve-wracking than competing for a Paralympic gold medal.
She explained that every gold-medal competition came after years of preparation, whereas she is entering Strictly without the same knowledge or experience.
"Probably the dancing, because every time I have competed for gold I have had years of prep behind me!"
Sarah is now preparing to swap her familiar sporting environment for the Strictly ballroom and discover whether her competitive instincts can transfer to the dancefloor.
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