Strictly star Graeme Hall reveals he was forced to give up dancing after stroke
Graeme is doing the 2026 seriesGraeme Hall has revealed that he competed in dance events before joining Strictly Come Dancing. However, a stroke in 2019 forced him to put the hobby on hold.
The 59-year-old Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly star has now returned to the dance floor as rehearsals for the BBC competition get under way. He was recently announced for the 2026 Strictly line-up.
Previous training remains a recurring Strictly talking point. During the 2025 series, former pro Vincent Simone defended Amber Davies and Lewis Cope over their dance experience, arguing that earlier training does not guarantee ballroom success.
Strictly star Graeme Hall reveals previous dance experience
Speaking to The Sun, Graeme explained that his interest began more than a decade ago.
He said: “I’d done a local competition called Strictly Northampton in 2012 and loved it so much that I carried it on as a hobby. I started taking part in regional events in church halls and community centres but I had to give up because I had a stroke in 2019.”
Doctors found a hole in Graeme’s heart and operated. The health crisis left him fearing that he would never dance again.
He continued: “I was out of action for quite a while and I thought it had brought an end to my dancing. I’m fine now but I had to put my dance bag away — now I’ve got it out of the loft and there’s all my kit and practice trousers so I will be using those soon.
“But if you’d told me in 2019 that I was going to be taking part in the show I would have dismissed you as a fantasist.”
Graeme also suspects that his nickname, The Dogfather, could inspire at least one Strictly routine. He joked that producers might even put him in a dog costume.
Strictly signing ‘hasn’t really sunk in’
Graeme had a meeting about the programme in February and danced for the Strictly team. He then heard nothing for some time.
As producers gradually announced the celebrity contestants, he assumed he had missed out. His agent eventually called with the news that he had secured a place.
Graeme said that “it hasn’t really sunk in”.
The celebrities will discover their professional partners during the live launch show, The Sun reported. They have already met the professionals and taken part in chemistry sessions.
Graeme insisted he would feel happy with any member of the professional cast. His main aim involves remaining in the competition for as long as possible while enjoying an opportunity few people receive.
Dog bite almost left Graeme with permanent damage
Long before Strictly, Graeme spent around two decades working in management at Weetabix. Graeme’s move from Weetabix into professional dog training eventually led to his television career.
His work with challenging dogs has brought serious risks. In the same interview, Graeme recalled an encounter with a German Shepherd that attacked his left hand.
Read more: New Strictly host Emma Willis hints fan-favourite Tess and Claudia ritual could be scrapped
Graeme said the bite narrowly missed a tendon and nerve. He feared that he could lose the full use of the injured hand.
The incident changed his approach to safety around aggressive dogs. He now uses a muzzle where necessary, although he admitted that he still suffers smaller bites from time to time.
Now his focus has shifted from difficult dogs to demanding choreography. Graeme knows Strictly will not prove easy, but he plans to embrace the experience and enjoy every minute on the dance floor.
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer on September 19.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI technology to synthesise source reporting and structured data. It has been reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.
