Strictly Come Dancing star Will Best has announced he is taking a break from his radio show while he competes on the BBC dance programme and hosts Big Brother.
The 41-year-old presenter is currently competing in the Strictly ballroom with his professional partner Dianne Buswell. He also hosts weekly evictions from the Big Brother house with AJ Odudu and presents the Hits Radio Breakfast Show with Fleur East and James Barr.
Announcement made live on air
Due to his busy schedule, Will will be taking a break from the radio while Strictly and Big Brother are on air. Former Strictly: It Takes Two host Fleur made the announcement during Wednesday's (September 30) live Breakfast Show, which marked Will's last day.
"It's a sad day for us in the studio this morning," she began. "Now, we all know right now our very own Will Best is the busiest man in show business. Hits Radio Breakfast, Big Brother, Strictly Come Dancing."
"I'm doing it all!" Will noted, before Fleur said: "Will, we're going to give you a little break... A gift from us to you." Will replied: "Oh, that's really sweet, thanks guys! [I'm going to] polish up the dancing shoes, get the twinkly toes ready to go. And that means that I can represent you guys to the best of my ability."
Return date and fan support
Fleur then revealed that her co-star is expected to return to the morning radio show in early November. "Can we speak on the phone every Monday?" Will then asked. "I can try and speak to you on a Friday to tell you how I think it's going to go... And then on a Monday to tell you what went wrong!"
Fleur acknowledged that it was an "emotional time", before urging viewers to vote for Will during his time in the Strictly ballroom. "We'll keep the campaign going on your behalf," James confirmed, before Fleur concluded: "We're all behind you." A clip of the conversation was shortly posted to Instagram, with many fans leaving supportive messages in the comments section.
"You shall be missed!!!" one person wrote. Another added: "Vote Will!!! Enjoy a well deserved break mate." A third said: "I'm so glad he's not gonna be getting up at 5am. I was on the verge of a second hand nervous breakdown on his behalf. The busiest man in showbiz needs some sleep. VOTE WILL." A fourth fan echoed the sentiment, saying: "I'm going to miss you Will." Someone else commented: "Oh man!! Good luck on @bbcstrictly but hurry back @iamwillbest you will be missed first thing in the morning!!"
Will was tasked with opening the first week of Strictly 2026, as all 15 of the new celebrities took to the dance floor for the first time. Will and Dianne performed a Samba to Rock DJ by Robbie Williams, which received 18 points from the judges.
Strictly Come Dancing is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
