Emma Willis has seemingly responded to being 'judged' in her new role on Strictly Come Dancing as she appears to be the only new host to speak out following the first live show of the 2026 series.
Saturday night (September 26) was the first time Strictly went live this year, following the pre-recorded launch show the previous weekend, in which the new cast were paired with their professional dance partners.
Presenter Emma, 50, was joined by fellow hosts Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe, as they welcomed all of the 15 new couples to the ballroom floor, before they performed live in front of judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke for the first time.
New presenting line-up divides viewers
The trio, who have replaced former hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman at the helm of the BBC One dance show, split presenting responsibilities with Emma and Josh sticking by the judges' table, like Tess used to, while Johannes joined the couples on the balcony ahead of the score reveal, the role previously occupied by Claudia.
The new hosts divided viewers with their presenting duties, with many taking to X to complain that the programme 'does not need' three presenters, while others were trying to embrace the changes to the popular programme.
Emma's social media response
On Sunday (September 27), Emma spoke out for the first time since hosting the first live show, but failed to address any of the criticism towards her fellow hosts. Sharing a post with her two million followers, she stunned in photos showing off her beautiful white dress.
The caption of the post, which also featured a video of her enjoying a backstage kiss with her husband Matt Willis, read: "Week one, done. I’ve never had so much fun! What a way to kick things off @bbcstrictly."
Now, Emma has spoken again, while Josh and Johannes seemingly keep their distance from social media, as she returned to her Instagram page with more behind-the-scenes snaps from week one of Strictly's 2026 series.
Backstage snaps and a cryptic quote
She posed for a selfie with her Busted star hubby as he supported her in her new role, and the former Big Brother and The Voice UK host also snapped photos of dressing rooms and contestants Will Best and Shaun Wright-Phillips. But the post ended with a quote on a canvas which read: "You'll get judged either way, so may as well pick the fun option."
Emma captioned the post: "And then… we were LIVE! #Strictly. A little camera roll dump from our first weekend of live shows," and she was quickly flooded with messages of support.
@mrsgillh said: "You are a legend Emma. I love you." @luxuria_jewellery commented: "You are such a breath of fresh air and beautiful with it." @trinasfunbox wrote: "You are always absolutely brilliant, so loveable and just such a natural. Strictly is perfect for you." @mjmlynn50 replied: "Brilliant as always. As are Josh and Johanes!!!"
@alimilnes shared: "Mrs Saturday night.. what a great series it is going to be." @covlar posted: "That last slide is such a mood!! You are fantastic." @huntersmoon53 added: "We’re really looking forward to the rest of the series with you, Josh and JoJo in our house."
