Strictly Come Dancing has made another major format change, dropping the celebrity family introductions in the Clauditorium, as viewers continue to react to the new presenting lineup of Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe.
The BBC show has already faced criticism over the presenter shake-up, which followed Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announcing their departure from their roles last year. Comprehensive chemistry tests were carried out to choose the new hosts, but fans believe they were pointless.
Further changes to the show
Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe were chosen as the new presenting trio, though that was not the only modification. Over on spin-off programme It Takes Two, Ellie Taylor was confirmed as host, while several professional dancers were dropped despite devoting years of their careers to the show.
Despite the criticism surrounding the new presenters, Strictly has now proceeded with implementing another substantial change. The celebrities no longer identify which of their friends and family members are seated in the audience.
Viewer reaction
A sharp-eyed Reddit user observed: "Anyone know why most of the contestants' guests weren't introduced in the Clauditorium?", referring to the upstairs section of the set where stars are questioned following their performances.
They commented: "We saw a lot of family and friends etc in the audience today, but then we never heard from the celebs who they were? I used to really enjoy this bit as we'd see family and friends emotional etc."
However, another person highlighted: "Claudia didn't introduce all guests either, for example, she never said anything about the Mitchells when Robert Webb was on the show."
Another countered: "Time factor. There will be more room for chatting when there are fewer couples."
The original poster retorted: "But [Johannes] kept asking the pro how proud they were of their celeb. Obviously they're all proud of their celebs, they're hardly going to say they're not proud are they. Felt like that limited time could have been better spent."
Mixed feedback on new host
Another disgruntled viewer grumbled: "JoJo was on a loop with just six words - 'My darling, how did that feel?' I don't think asking about guests was on the agenda for him today."
And a different fan commented: "JoJo mentioned Chris' kids in the audience but other than that I can't remember others. As another person said, I think JoJo was just trying to get through the night without improving too much."
