Strictly Come Dancing has announced another format change, with the spin-off show It Takes Two introducing a new roving reporter. The move has divided fans, with some praising the new feature while others criticise the absence of traditional couple interviews.
The change was announced on air during Wednesday's episode (September 30) by new It Takes Two host Ellie Taylor. She introduced Strictly: Lights Up presenter Abi Clarke as the programme's "brand-new roving reporter," saying: "As resident Strictly super-fan, we thought we'd keep her busy and give Abi Clarke another job."
New Roving Reporter Feature
Abi Clarke was then seen speaking with Will Best and Dianne Buswell, Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec, and Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola from the training room. While training room clips have appeared on It Takes Two in past series, formal interviews from practice sessions are unprecedented for the programme.
The spin-off returned on Monday (September 28) with a revamped studio and numerous new formats, including a Monday panel. It was also announced that celebrities would be interviewed by Ellie without their professional partners, which sparked outrage among many BBC viewers.
Fan Reactions
Following the interviews, fans took to social media to voice their opinions. One viewer posted on X: "So they are interviewing couples from the training room now." Another wrote: "Ah ok so we do get couple interviews in rehearsals by the new roving reporter for #ItTakesTwo which is slightly better to how it was all presented on Monday on how it will work."
Later in the episode, Ellie chatted with the first professional panel of the series, featuring Jowita Przystał, Julian Caillon, and Lauren Oakley. Some fans said they "really enjoyed" the panel, while others expressed frustration at the lack of live couple catch-ups.
Viewer Criticism
"#ItTakesTwo needs to bring back interviewing the couple, not separately," one viewer commented. Another shared: "At this stage of the contest I don't know who the pros' partners are... they need to be sat together so we can learn them."
A third remarked: "The fact that we probably won't see the pros with their celebs on #ItTakesTwo unless they've been voted off. They really need to change this format it's dire!" Another echoed the sentiment, stating: "#ItTakesTwo we want the pros interviewed with their partners on the shows. We want to see the journey @bbcstrictly. This was the whole point of the programme. This is absolutely rubbish."
Costume designer Vicky Gill will return to It Takes Two on Thursday (October 1), joining new hosts Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe. Ellie will also be accompanied by Lawrence Robb, Dani Dyer, and Cach Mercer. Strictly Come Dancing and Strictly: It Takes Two are both available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
