Entertainment19 September, 20263 min read
Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe Debut as Strictly Come Dancing Hosts
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Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe debut as Strictly Come Dancing hosts. New trio replaces long-running presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
8 outlets told this the same way.
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New hosts, new pairings
Strictly Come Dancing returns for its 24th series, with Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe making their presenting debut on Saturday as they take over from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. During the launch show, it was revealed which professional dancers the celebrity contestants would be paired with, including Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola, Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin, and Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington. Willis stepped onto the ballroom floor after a huge all-cast opening dance routine and said presenting Strictly was a "genuine honour".
Radebe, a former professional on the show, told the launch audience, "Josh, you've got moves," while Widdicombe said it was "a little bit overwhelming" but he was "delighted" to be there. The BBC also described the pairing reveal as a first for the show, with celebrity and pro pairings shown via three dance routines that functioned like "musical chairs" until a couple was announced.
Twist and launch night
The London Evening Standard said the BBC dance competition returns on Saturday for its 24th series, the first in its history without longtime host Tess Daly after her departure alongside co-host Claudia Winkleman last year. It also said the launch show would reveal a "speed dancing" twist, alongside the new trio of hosts and five new professional dancers gearing up to make their entrance onto the dance floor. Digital Spy reported that Strictly fans would not know what to expect when the show returns to TV screens on Saturday (19 September), and it quoted Radebe saying, "Strictly is never the same."
Digital Spy also quoted Willis on the show’s continuity, saying, "The heart of Strictly will always be the same, but you can't be on air for over two decades and never change anything…" The BBC’s launch coverage added that the pairing process was revealed via three specially choreographed group dance routines, with contestants switching partners until the music was paused and a couple was announced.
Who’s in, what’s next
The BBC said the celebrity cast for the 2026 series included actress Melanie Walters and former England footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips, and it listed additional pairings such as Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden, Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby, and Will Best and Dianne Buswell. The BBC also named Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon, actress Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu, and TV and stage actress Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu as part of the first-time pairings revealed on the launch show. News & Star said Strictly Come Dancing returns on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 7.25pm on Saturday 19 September, and it said the series continues across Saturday and Sunday nights throughout the autumn, taking viewers all the way to Christmas.
It added that the themed weeks, Blackpool and the Instant Dance challenge would return, and it said the Instant Dance challenge adds an extra layer of unpredictability for the couples. The BBC also said the show’s judges included Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke, with Horwood directing a jibe at broadcaster Will Best’s hip action: "Call in the paramedics darling, dislocation - my goodness."