Oxford News
BBC confirms the 15 pro dancers returning to Strictly 2026
There will be 15 returning pros for the new series, as five leave the show.
New professionals are also set to be recruited and announced closer to the dancing show’s return in autumn.
BBC confirms the 15 pro dancers returning to Strictly 2026
The full list of 15 dancers returning from the 2025 series is:
- Alexis Warr
- Amy Dowden
- Aljaz Skorjanec
- Carlos Gu
- Dianne Buswell
- Johannes Radebe
- Jowita Przystal
- Julian Caillon
- Kai Widdrington
- Katya Jones
- Lauren Oakley
- Nancy Xu
- Neil Jones
- Nikita Kuzmin
- Vito Coppola
Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke, and head judge Shirley Ballas will all return to the judging panel.
Themed weeks, including movies, icons, Halloween and musicals, plus the Instant Dance challenge, which was introduced last year, will also be back.
The BBC has also confirmed Strictly will once again make its annual trip to Blackpool Tower Ballroom later this year, and said further plans for the new series would be announced in due course.
Which Strictly pros have left the series for 2026?
Reports have suggested that there are plans to reinvent the series, particularly following the departures of long-time presenters Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly.
Five pros that have been axed from Strictly ahead of the new series include:
- Gorka Marquez
- Michelle Tsiakkas
- Karen Hauer
- Nadiya Bychkova
- Luba Mushtuk
Karen was the show’s longest-serving Strictly professional in the current roster at the time she was axed.
With her exit, the longest-standing current Strictly professional is now Aljaž Škorjanec, who has only missed two series (in 2022 and 2023) since 2013.
Each dancer’s post announcing their exit was flooded with tributes from fans and stars alike.
The BBC has thanked each of the departing dancers for their time on the show, praising Tsiakkas for her “excellent performances” and “professionalism”, and Marquez for his “exceptional contribution”.
The new dancers that will replace the five will be announced soon, as will the new hosts.
Will you be watching the new series of Strictly Come Dancing? Let us know in the comments.
Oxford News
Jeremy Clarkson issues health update amid cancer battle
The broadcaster, 66, issued the plea after revealing he is in remission from an “aggressive” form of the disease.
The revelation came in recent episodes of Clarkson’s Farm, which follows life on his Diddly Squat Farm near Chipping Norton.
He said: “This is why I have to say to everybody who’s reading this, please, please, please go and get checked.
“It’s not uncomfortable, it’s not undignified, and it’s a no-brainer.
“I did, and that’s why I’m sitting here talking to you.”
His daughter, writer Emily Clarkson, echoed the call on social media, tagging Prostate Cancer UK in her post, encouraging men to get tested.
Gentlemen, if you’re experiencing any of the signs of prostate cancer then please get yourselves checked as soon as possible! pic.twitter.com/1GN9ywuML1
— ClarksonsFarm (@ClarksonsFarm1) June 21, 2026
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Mr Clarkson revealed he has since formed a support group with others who have also experienced the disease.
He said: “I was talking to David (Cameron) about it earlier this morning.
“He said the amount of people that come up to him is mostly in public conveniences and say, if you hadn’t owned up to it, I wouldn’t have got checked, and they wouldn’t have found it.
“So now there’s a group of us, (food writer) Giles Coren, David, me, one or two other people, and we meet for lunch every so often.”
Mr Clarkson said the diagnosis took an emotional toll, despite his typically stoic public persona.
He said: “I’ve seen so many people die of cancer.
“It doesn’t bear thinking about what it must be like to live knowing that an illness is going to kill you.
“It must be very, very, very distressing.”
He said: “I don’t know the history of what happened to (former Olympic cyclist) Chris Hoy, but to be told your cancer is inoperable and to still carry on, you’d have to be incredibly brave.”
During the season finale of Clarkson’s Farm, Mr Clarkson is seen in a hospital bed describing complications during treatment.
He told The Times these were the result of mistakenly resuming blood-thinning medication for existing heart and vascular issues.
He said: “That was horrific and it was all my own fault.
“I’d been on drugs for heart issues and I had to come off them during the cancer treatment.
“Two or three weeks after the cancer operation, I thought I’d better put myself back on those blood thinners.
“Big mistake, huge.
“It (resulted in) a very big emergency in the middle of the night.
“I’m not even going to go into the treatment that was required as a result of that, because it was horrible.”
Mr Clarkson previously underwent a heart procedure during which he was fitted with two stents to improve blood flow.
In a column for The Sun at the time, he said his doctor advised him to give up work and take up golf instead.
He also gave up smoking after contracting pneumonia while on holiday in Spain.
Posting on the X account of his pub, The Farmer’s Dog, Mr Clarkson reiterated the importance of early detection.
Great to see three Brits on the podium in Barcelona. Just a shame the winner was sponsored by an Italian beer.
— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) June 14, 2026
He said: “The reason why I’m fine is because the doctors caught the prostate cancer early, and they caught it early because I got tested.
“Now, I know a lot of you will say, ‘I don’t want to be tested because it means someone will have to put their finger in me’, but it’s just a blood test these days.
“Look, 10, 12,000 people, men, to be honest, men, die every year in the UK from prostate cancer.
“Don’t be one of them, get tested.”
Do you prefer Clarkson’s Farm or Top Gear? Let us know in the comments
Oxford News
South Oxfordshire residents invited to review proposals
South Oxfordshire District Council has launched a second public consultation on final proposals for parish boundaries, councillor numbers and ward arrangements in several towns and parishes across the district.
Maggie Filipova-Rivers, leader of South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “We had a great response to our initial survey and made several changes following the comments we received.
“We’re now giving residents the opportunity to have their say on the updated proposals before they are finalised ready for the 2027 elections.
“Community governance arrangements play a vital role in ensuring that local councils reflect the communities they serve, so it’s important that people have their say.”
The recommendations include increasing the number of parish councillors in Ewelme and Stoke Row, adjusting warding arrangements in Didcot, Henley and Thame, and revising parish boundaries between Shirburn and Pyrton and between Thame and Great Haseley.
If approved, the changes would come into effect in time for the May 2027 local elections.
Residents can review the full proposals and share their views through an online survey at southoxon.gov.uk/CommunityGovernance.
The consultation is open until 11.59pm on Thursday 30 July 2026.
Those unable to access the survey online can call 01235 422 425 for support.
Oxford News
Truck Festival placed eighth in UK festival league table
Truck Festival ranked eighth in a new 2026 festival league table compiled by outdoor experts GO Outdoors.
It is based on ticket prices, social media posts, Google searches, festival duration, and average rainfall in the area around the dates of the festival.
Oxford, Isle of Wight, and Reading, along with London and Newquay, helped give the south of England six out of the top 10 spots.
Truck Festival earned a score of 9.1 out of 10, with a ticket price of £224 for the three-day event.
Natalie Wolfenden, Author and hiking enthusiast at GO Outdoors, said: “No two festival days look the same.
“A one-day city festival needs a very different kit list from a four-night camping weekend, while outdoor and adventure-led events often require more specialist preparation.
“For any festival, comfortable footwear and waterproof jackets should be near the top of the list, especially with long days on your feet and unpredictable UK weather.
“For camping festivals, your tent, sleeping bag, roll mat or airbed, and camping chair will make the biggest difference to comfort across the weekend.”
In the top three, the Isle of Wight Festival claimed first place with a score of 9.96.
Download Festival came second with 9.87, and BST Hyde Park placed third at 9.80.
The full list and methodology can be viewed on the GO Outdoors website.
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