Strictly Come Dancing viewers were left unsure over some big changes to the BBC series, as the first live show kicked off on Saturday night.
Three hosts spark mixed reactions
With a change to the hosts, following the exits of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, and a few tweaks to the format, fans were pretty divided. With three hosts, including Johannes Radebe presenting from an area where all the pairings gathered throughout the show, viewers commented that it "didn't work".
The other hosts, Emma Willis and Josh Widdicombe, were down on the ballroom floor, presenting and speaking with the judges. But some fans thought three presenters was too much.
Others thought the number was fine, but they were all placed in the wrong areas. While some fans embraced the shake-up, others wanted to see Emma host alone, or for Emma to lead with Johannes and Josh together post-dances.
Fan reactions online
One unimpressed fan said: "Having three hosts doesn’t work," as another agreed: "Three hosts are too much." A third fan commented: "I love strictly but this trio of hosts just isn’t working for me."
A fourth fan said: "These transitions between JoJo and the other hosts are so clunky and stilted, it’s probably the reason the show is running to 2.5 hours." Another comment read: "Okay, I don’t want to be a hater but three hosts is just not working. Not at all."
Not everyone agreed though with some finding the change okay. A fan said: "There seems to be as many posts about the hosts as there are about the dancing. If it bugs you that much then just switch off."
Another posted: "Am I the only one who thinks the hosts are doing great and are in the right places?" A final comment read: "Getting more used to the hosts now icl."
EastEnders stars back Lacey Turner
It comes as the cast of EastEnders shared their hopes that Strictly fans will "fall in love with" Lacey Turner as she takes to Strictly. Former Strictly star Emma Barton, who plays Honey Mitchell on EastEnders, told the Mirror: "I've heard great things.
"Lacey is just the most adorable woman and the audience is gonna fall in love with her. Whatever she tackles, whatever she's given, she goes in 10 out of 10, 100 percent.
"I really hope she does well. She is gonna have a wonderful time, and she will deliver." Meanwhile, she could have a soap rival in terms of getting the trophy.
Emmerdale co-stars back Lawrence Robb
Emmerdale’s Lawrence Robb could go all the way and win Strictly 2026, his soap co-stars reckon. Katie Hill and Jeff Hordley are supporting the Mack Boyd actor, and reckon his personality alone could bag him the Strictly trophy.
Katie shared: "I think he was brilliant [last week]. I think everyone will love him. He's such a lovable person. He's so positive. He'll give it his best go. I think he's going to be incredible."
Jeff added: "He's a joy. I share a dressing room with him, and he's just such a lovely man. We all love him and we all want him to do brilliantly, and I think he will because he's a really dedicated human being.
"He'll give it 110 per cent. He's done musical theatre so he'll know how to shake those hips." When asked if they were backing Lawrence, Jeff quipped: "If it goes on a personality contest, Lawrence will win hands down. I don't know about the dancing, but we'll see."
Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturdays and Sundays on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
