Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Brendan Cole has admitted he isn't currently enjoying the show with the three new presenters, questioning whether the BBC made the right decision in appointing them.
Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe made their debuts as hosts of the BBC show in September, taking over from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. While fans appeared to have warmed to Emma, 50, Josh, 43, and Johannes, 39, have faced harsh criticism over recent weeks.
Backlash over new presenting line-up
Many have criticised Josh's broadcasting abilities, with some claiming he "missed his cue" and looked like a "spare part" while presenting alongside his co-hosts. Others have highlighted Johannes' lack of presenting experience, with some believing he was better suited as a professional on the show.
Brendan, who was a professional on Strictly from 2004 to 2017, shared his thoughts on the new line-up, admitting he hasn't been enjoying it so far.
Brendan's verdict on the new hosts
While he praised Emma and said Josh isn't a bad presenter, he questioned whether the comedian is the right fit for a show like Strictly.
"There's been a massive backlash to the hosts because it's not what people are used to. I'm not enjoying it so far," he said on Jeremy Vine.
"I think Emma has been great. I think Josh is trying to be great and I don't think he's a bad host, but does he fit Strictly? I'm not sure."
He argued that while Johannes fits Strictly because he used to be a professional on the show, he doesn't want to hear "my darling" repeatedly said every time a pairing comes upstairs.
BBC 'wondering if they made the right decision'
"I think the BBC are probably looking at themselves now and wondering if they've made the right decision," he added.
"People will call me a bitter old pro. I probably am, I've just got an opinion on the show like everybody else because I was heavily invested in it for such a long time."
Brendan also claimed that the Saturday night show, which runs for more than two and a half hours, is simply too long.
"People haven't got that much time to sit around watching television," he remarked, before comparing this year's line-up to Celebrity Traitors.
He went on: "Every single person on the Traitors is a household name where you can put the face to the name. Whereas with Strictly, I knew three of them by name. The rest of them I don't know, so there's no investment." He added that while the new professionals will eventually go on to become household names, fans also have no investment in them because they are not well known.
