Emma Willis has confessed she is 'terrified' about taking on her new role as co-host of Strictly Come Dancing, amid worries that expectations for the show's new presenting team have been set too high. The TV personality will front the BBC ballroom competition alongside comedian Josh Widdicombe and former professional dancer Johannes Radebe, following the departure of long-time hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly.
Emma Willis Opens Up About Hosting Anxieties
Speaking on BBC Radio 2, Willis admitted she fears the bar has been raised too high by early reactions to the new lineup. 'Do you know what worries me? A few things I've read recently is that people go, well, people are going, 'The chemistry was off the charts.' I'm like, don't set it that far, the bar that high, because then we've got nowhere to go,' she said. She suggested a more modest starting point: 'Yeah, go, 'They all got on really well.' Start there.'
Despite her nerves, Willis expressed excitement about the upcoming series. 'But what fun we're going to have,' she added. Josh Widdicombe echoed her enthusiasm, noting the scale of the show: 'I know this sounds weird, because obviously it is a bit huge, and you know it's huge, but you don't realise how huge it is. So you haven't even been on it yet, and that's all the people in the street talk to you about.' Willis responded: 'Yeah, I keep going, 'Yeah, thanks' and they're like, 'Are you excited?' I'm like, 'I'm terrified.'
New Hosting Lineup Confirmed After Winkleman and Daly Departure
The three presenters were confirmed as the new hosting lineup in May, several months after Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly announced their departures. In a joint statement shared on Instagram in October 2024, the former hosts said: 'We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream. We were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time. We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series and we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to every single person who works on the show. They're the most brilliant team and we'll miss them every day.'
Celebrity Contestants Announced for 2026 Series
So far, four celebrities have been confirmed for the 2026 series: celebrity hair stylist Chris Appleton, EastEnders actress Lacey Turner, singer-songwriter Delta Goodrem, and former Love Islander Dani Dyer. Strictly Come Dancing airs on BBC One.
