Milly Carlucci reveals the first protagonists of the new edition, including faces from television, music and sport.
The track of Dancing with the Stars begins to populate. After weeks of indiscretions, Milly Carlucci is gradually revealing the cast of the twenty-first edition of the program, expected on Rai 1 starting from Saturday 3 October 2026. The first six official competitors are Alessandro Matri, Aurora Ramazzotti, Eugenio Finardi, Noemi Bocchi, Jimmy Ghione and Riccardo Rossi. A deliberately heterogeneous group, in which sport, music, television and characters who until now remained on the fringes of the world of entertainment meet.
Alessandro Matri opens the cast of Dancing with the Stars
The first official name was that of Alessandro Matri. The former footballer, who during his career also wore the shirts of Juventus, Milan, Lazio and Sassuolo, is preparing to replace the football pitch with the television parquet.
For Matri this is a particularly curious challenge also for family reasons. In fact, her partner Federica Nargi participated in the 2024 edition of Dancing with the Starsreaching the final. This time she will be able to dispense advice, while the former striker will have to demonstrate whether agility and sense of rhythm can survive the transition from cleats to dancing shoes.
Aurora Ramazzotti ready to get involved
The second competitor announced is Aurora Ramazzotti, who in the presentation video chose to play on her own presumed weaknesses, defining herself as “a little uncoordinated” and admitting that she doesn’t know how to dance.
Presenter, creator and daughter of Michelle Hunziker and Eros Ramazzotti, Aurora has built a personal television journey over the years, characterized by irony and spontaneity. However, participation in the program could show a yet new side of his character, between the discipline of training and the emotional exposure required by the performances.
Eugenio Finardi brings music to the dance floor
Among the most unexpected names appears that of Eugenio Finardi. The singer-songwriter, protagonist of Italian music for over fifty years, is ready to deal with a language different from the one that made him famous.
Used to dominating the stage through his voice and words, Finardi will now have to entrust the story to his body. Precisely this distance from his usual comfort zone makes his participation one of the most interesting, especially in a program capable of transforming dance into a tool through which to retrace the lives and careers of the competitors.
Noemi Bocchi makes her television debut
The participation destined to arouse greater curiosity is probably that of Noemi Bocchi. Known by the general public above all for her relationship with Francesco Totti, she will enter a television show in the leading role, after having remained away from the spotlight for a long time.
The announcement came through an ironic video in which the former Roma captain also appears, who, faced with his partner’s first attempts at dancing, jokingly advises her to let it go. For Bocchi, Dancing with the Stars it will represent an opportunity to talk about oneself beyond sentimental news and build a direct relationship with the public.
Jimmy Ghione leaves the investigation for the dance
The fifth official competitor is Jimmy Ghione, the historical face of Strip the News. In the video released on the program’s channels, the former correspondent is already intent on trying out some steps and makes his promise: “Give me a dancer and I will make the world dance.”
After years spent between reports, complaints and television incursions, Ghione is thus preparing to show a decidedly lighter register. His energy and long familiarity with the camera could prove invaluable, although it remains to be discovered what his relationship with technique, choreography and jury judgments will be.
Riccardo Rossi arrives with the claquettes
The last name announced, for the moment, is that of Riccardo Rossi. Actor, comedian and presenter, he announced his participation by presenting himself with a pair of claquettes and declaring himself ready to follow in the footsteps of his legend Fred Astaire.
Rossi already knows Milly Carlucci’s television universe well. In 2022 he had participated in The Masked Singer in the role of the Chameleon, winning third place, while in 2026 he was among the jurors of Great song. His irony promises to liven up behind the scenes, but the claquettes shown in the video also suggest a more technical ambition than the joking tone would have you believe.
