Emma Willis has issued a cryptic statement after the backlash her Strictly Come Dancing co-hosts have received. Emma, 50, has been accused of “carrying” her co-stars Josh Widdicombe, 43, and Johannes Radebe, 39, on the BBC show, thanks to her extensive presenting experience as she slotted into the role vacated by Tess Daly.
New presenting line-up faces criticism
Johannes seemed to step into Claudia Winkleman’s old shoes for week one, appearing upstairs in the Clauditorium, while Josh stayed downstairs with Emma. Many fans have suggested Josh would make a better go of his comedy role upstairs, with some worrying Johannes should be axed entirely as a host and go back to dancing.
After the online backlash, Emma has broken her silence with a veiled dig at social media trolls.
Emma's cryptic Instagram response
On Instagram, she shared a string of photographs from backstage of Strictly, one of which showed Emma joined by her Busted star husband Matt Willis. Though her caption seemed innocent enough, it was a quote Emma shared that most resonated with her friends and followers.
She simply captioned the post: “And then… we were LIVE! A little camera roll dump from our first weekend of live shows.” But the quote read: “You’ll get judged either way, so may as well pick the fun option!”
Fans react to the trio
It seemed to be a dig at the criticism the trio were receiving online, with one fan commenting: “That last slide!! Loving the show.” “Loving you, Josh and Johannes,” someone else reassured her.
A third posted: “Photo six is so true. You know it’s the small-minded minority. The rest of us are enjoying you three presenters bringing something different to Strictly. I for one am loving you all doing you and bringing the individuality to a great show each day.” Another said: “You guys were brilliant, everyone will warm up. It’s all about change.”
