John Nellis, a popular YouTuber known for meeting some of the world’s biggest footballers, has been confirmed as one of the stars joining the 2026 series of Strictly Come Dancing. The show, which pairs celebrities with professional dancers to learn and perform ballroom styles, will feature a new team of hosts: Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and former Strictly pro Johannes Radebe. This marks a fresh start for the show after longtime hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman left. Nellis, 33, is originally from Newcastle, County Down, and is relatively new to the entertainment industry. Before becoming a content creator, he worked as an air traffic controller. During the pandemic, when air travel dropped significantly, he turned to his passion for creating online content, focusing on football. In 2022, he made a bold move by quitting his job and going full-time into content creation, despite only having 7,431 subscribers on YouTube at the time. He later admitted to a local BBC outlet that he thought he was being "delusional" for taking such a risk. Since then, Nellis has grown his online presence dramatically, amassing 16 million YouTube subscribers and 2.6 million TikTok followers. He is known for his engaging, lighthearted content, including a popular "100 hours to meet…" series where he tracks down football stars for interviews and a feel-good series where everyday people get tickets to major games. His unique approach has earned him praise from footballers like Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland, and Zinedine Zidane, who have all participated in his videos. Nellis has also received recognition for his work, winning the title of Sports Creator of the Year at a major awards event in 2024. His production team has grown from a solo effort to a small, full-time operation with three employees. He described the process as involving careful planning, shooting, and editing, with ongoing input from strategists. Nellis now has a tattoo of the number 7,431 on his arm, a tribute to the subscriber count he had when he made his career leap. He recently married his wife Shannon in 2025, and the couple have a son. While he is excited about joining Strictly Come Dancing, he admitted he is still in disbelief and a little nervous, as he has no prior dance experience. He plans to embrace every challenge and hopes to become a better dancer for family gatherings by the end of the series.