Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe have been named as the new hosts of Strictly Come Dancing, with the confirming on Tuesday that the trio will replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. The move ends months of speculation over who would front the show after Daly and Winkleman left the dance competition last year.
Willis said she was a "huge fan" of the programme and added: "To be stepping into the Strictly ballroom is something I can't quite comprehend." Widdicombe said he was "giddy with excitement, honoured and a little overawed to be given the chance to step into the biggest shoes in television," while Radebe said returning to the series in a new presenting role "is beyond anything I ever imagined."
The choice marks the first time Strictly has had three permanent presenters, and the said the new team will have equal billing. It has not yet been announced which role each presenter will take on, a sign that this year’s version of the show may not simply copy the old Tess-and-Claudia formula. Hosting duties may be different from the pair’s long-running partnership, though the core job remains the same: steering the country’s biggest dance competition through its autumn run.
The appointment also caps an extensive audition process that brought several major television personalities into screen tests. Among them was Zoe Ball, who later said she had worked through "the seven stages of grief and rejection" after being told she had missed out. Rylan Clark confirmed he had also been in "the race" and said: "This wasn't my time sadly but I'm extremely grateful to even have been considered."
Strictly’s executive producer Sarah James said the combination was "unexpected, but their magic was undeniable the moment they came together." She described Willis as bringing "a wealth of presenting experience and a natural warmth," said Widdicombe had "us all in stitches with his unique style of self-deprecating humour and razor-sharp wit," and called Radebe a "one-of-a-kind talent who's been a beloved part of the Strictly family for eight years and will bring all his experience and knowledge to this new role."
The announcement comes after Willis already filmed the forthcoming season of The Voice UK, adding to a packed schedule for a presenter now taking on one of British television’s most high-profile live jobs. Judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke will all return when the new series launches this autumn, giving the show a familiar panel even as its front-of-house team is transformed.
There is one obvious uncertainty left. The has chosen its new face of the ballroom, but it has not yet said how the three will divide the presenting duties. That detail will shape whether this is merely a new lineup or the start of a different Strictly era altogether.
