Emma Willis is set to take over as host of Strictly Come Dancing, receiving the seal of approval from outgoing presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. The 50-year-old television presenter was announced in May as one of three new hosts, joining professional dancer Johannes Radebe and comedian Josh Widdicombe.
Daly and Winkleman announced their departure from the show in October last year, stating that it was the 'right time' to leave. In a joint statement, they 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.' They added that they would continue to say 'keep dancing' to each other at home.
Willis described the task of replacing Daly and Winkleman as 'impossible', but expressed her excitement at working with the dancers and judges. She told The Sun that the outgoing hosts had been supportive, saying: 'We’ve had a little back and forth, yes, and they were lovely. They just said, “Congrats, well done, you’ll smash it.” And I was like, “S**t!”’
Willis is no stranger to live television, having hosted ITV's This Morning and the Netflix series Love Is Blind alongside her husband Matt Willis. She also presents The Voice and has previously worked on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! NOW, The Circle, and Big Brother. She previously replaced Brian Dowling as host of Big Brother on Channel 5.
The new hosting trio will take over the BBC dancing competition show, with Willis, Radebe, and Widdicombe steering the show into its next chapter. The exact start date for the new series has not yet been announced.
