Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe have clarified that their upcoming presenting duties on Strictly Come Dancing will not involve fixed roles. The trio is set to take over following the departure of long-time hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who left the program after the 2025 series. Previously, the show featured a clear division of labor, with Daly managing the dancefloor introductions and Winkleman handling contestant debriefs from the “Clauditorium.”
Speaking on the podcastThe Rest is EntertainmentWillis told Richard Osman that the team is not replacing individuals directly, noting that their current arrangement is “kind of open.” The presenters also explicitly rejected media reports suggesting Radebe would serve as a “roving reporter.” Willis confirmed that no such backstage role exists, while Widdicombe likened their dynamic to “Total Football,” where the hosts will move fluidly across the studio rather than staying in static positions.
Radebe, a former professional dancer on the show, noted that he intends to use his deep familiarity with the production to pry for the truth. While he expressed excitement about the new opportunity, he admitted to feeling a slight sense of missing out while watching the current professionals in rehearsals. The decision to cast the three as a group was described as a “wild card” by producers, leading to a rigorous four-month selection process that included a “terrifying” chemistry test.
Production and Casting Details
- Audition process: A multi-month, secretive search that required Widdicombe to use a fake project nameThe Great Garden Glow Upto maintain confidentiality.
- Group dynamic: The trio joked about their chemistry, with Widdicombe quipping that standing next to his “striking” co-hosts made him feel like a competition winner.
- Impartiality: Radebe acknowledged the challenge of remaining neutral now that he is no longer a competitor, joking that he is waiting for a “judges’ debrief” should the panel become too critical.
- Show return: The new series premieres on Saturday, 19 September, featuring 15 celebrities including Delta Goodrem, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Lacey Turner, Jaime Winstone, and Tabby Stoecker.
- Judging panel: Shirley Ballas, Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke are confirmed to return.
The production team reportedly lacked a formal script for the new trio during the testing phase, opting instead to experiment with how the three interacted on screen. This collaborative approach remains the foundation for their upcoming work as they prepare for the show’s return. The report also notes that having been a professional dancer on the show, with the advantage of knowing everyone on it really well already, radebe added he will definitely be doing “a little bit of prying and finding out the truth”. The report also notes that very exciting,” although he admitted he felt a “little bit of a tinge” of FOMO [fear of missing out] at seeing the pros in rehearsals, he called his new role “very. The report also notes that get it up on the screen and we’ll have a little tinker all together’, so we’re going to sit down. The report also notes that saying it took about four months in total and that the chemistry test was “terrifying, but so brilliant”, willis called the hiring process “the most cloak and dagger thing” she has ever seen.
Important Details
- The report also notes that widdecombe responded: ” Do you know what I have realised? It’s difficult when you’re paired with two of the most striking people on television.
- The report also notes that former footballer Karen Carney and dancer Carlos Gu won last year’s giltterball trophy.
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