Josh Widdicombe and Emma Willis have shown their public support for Johannes Radebe ahead of their debut as Strictly Come Dancing presenters by attending his West End show Kinky Boots in London. The trio are set to host the BBC Saturday night favourite later this year, replacing Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly.
New Hosts Announced for Strictly Come Dancing
It was announced earlier this year that comedian Josh, 43, along with former Big Brother host Emma, 50, and Strictly professional dancer Johannes, 39, would head up the show. Johannes, who joined Strictly in 2018, is currently playing the leading role of drag queen Lola in the musical Kinky Boots at the London Coliseum. The show is based on the 2005 film and follows a struggling shoe factory that turns to making footwear for men who dress as women to avoid closure.
Backstage Support at Kinky Boots
On Wednesday, Josh revealed on Instagram that he and Emma had visited the London Coliseum to see their co-star in action. Alongside a picture of them backstage with X Factor winner Matt Cardle, who plays Charlie Price, Josh wrote: "Incredible evening watching @johannesradebe absolutely smash the west end in Kinky Boots. Emma and I a bit too in love with him in the second pic."
The trio had previously expressed their excitement for their new roles at a photoshoot for the BBC dancing competition, in a behind-the-scenes video posted to Strictly Come Dancing's Instagram. The announcement came almost a year after fans began speculating about who would replace Tess and Claudia.
Fan Reactions to the New Lineup
Following the first public appearance of the trio, several fans were divided about what is to come. One fan wrote on X: "I'm so sorry but even this photo backs up my theory that it'll just be Emma + Johannes after 1 series. This is just so odd and you can't keeeeep dancing like this!"
Another said: "I would have put Emma with Rylan, not sure about Josh or Johannes." A third, writing on Reddit, commented: "Producers were thoroughly surprised and impressed with Johannes during the screentest. I wouldn't be surprised they added the 3rd host role specifically for him. If Josh doesn't work out for them, they can slot Johannes right in that spot upstairs, with a year of experience under his belt. If it does all work out, they have 3 amazing hosts!"
Others had an optimistic outlook. One viewer wrote: "Good luck Josh, Emma and JoJo, looking forward to the new line-up!" Another said: "Love Emma! Don't know too much about Josh so will stay open minded before making judgements. I'm sort of gutted we won't see Jojo with a partner, but I will love to watch him on my screen every week!!"
