Sara Cox has disclosed that she applied to become a host of Strictly Come Dancing shortly after being offered the coveted BBC Radio 2 Breakfast show role. The Bolton-born broadcaster shared the news on Tuesday, congratulating Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe, who were announced as the new presenting trio for the popular dance programme.
Cox, who currently hosts the Radio 2 Teatime show, said she auditioned for the Strictly job two days after being offered the Breakfast show position. Describing the experience as 'the most gorgeous experience', she explained that she was taken by car to a secret location for the audition, which she compared to an interactive game of The Crystal Maze. 'I was like, "Great, I'm going to be a Strictly presenter for an hour!" The whole thing was really great fun,' she said.
The new Strictly hosting team replaces Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who announced their departure in October 2025 and officially left after the 23rd series in December. Cox expressed her confidence in the new presenters, saying, 'I think Emma, Josh and JoJo are going to be magnificent! Well done to them.'
Cox's revelation comes after she was named as the new Radio 2 Breakfast host, following Scott Mills' departure. She will take over the role in the summer, describing it as her 'number one, all-time dream job'. 'It’s been a dream to host the Breakfast Show since I joined Radio 2 and it feels like a bit of a full circle for me,' she said last month.
