Strictly Come Dancing judge Motsi Mabuse has responded to criticism of the show's new presenting line-up in a social media post on Threads, defending Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe.
After the launch show and the first live show, Willis has been praised by viewers, but her two co-hosts have received a cooler reception. Widdicombe has looked uncomfortable and been criticised for speaking over his fellow co-hosts and judges. Radebe, who is new to live TV presenting, has not yet shown Winkleman's trademark diffusing repartee while hosting the Claudatorium.
Mabuse's rebuttal
Mabuse, who has been on the Strictly judging panel since 2019, wrote on Threads: 'While people type away, tearing apart real human beings on television, real emotions !!!!!!!'
She continued: 'AI is getting better at replacing them. One day we might not even know the difference. And maybe then we'll miss the days when television was still beautifully, imperfectly human.'
In the comments, Liz McGough wrote that her words were 'beautifully said', while Shane commented: 'Absolutely! Much love.'
Ratings for the first live show
The first live show of the new series attracted a peak of 5 million viewers, the BBC said earlier this week. Over the two-and-a-half-hour programme, an average of 4.8 million viewers tuned in.
The show, which did not include a public vote or elimination, went up against the UEFA Nations League England v Spain match on ITV. In comparison, the launch episode had a peak of 5.8 million viewers and an average of 5.3 million.
In the first round of routines, social media star John Nellis topped the Strictly leaderboard with his partner Katya Jones, impressing the judges with a foxtrot to Alex Warren's track Ordinary.
Strictly Come Dancing will return on BBC One on Saturday for movie week.
