Strictly Come Dancing viewers have jumped to Johannes Radebe's defence and said it's 'not his fault' after the same thing left them 'puzzled' during the first live show of the new series.
The professional dancer was seen back in the ballroom on Saturday night (September 26) as the first week of the BBC One dance contest got underway, but this time as one of the three hosts of the popular programme.
It was announced back in May that Johannes, who joined the show back in 2017, was named as one of Strictly's new hosts alongside Emma Willis and Josh Widdicombe, following the exit of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman at the end of the 2025 series.
First live show of 2026
Fans then waited months to see Strictly's first-ever hosting trio appear in the famous ballroom for the first time, with them first seen during the pre-recorded launch show last weekend.
However, it was over the weekend that Strictly went live to the nation for the first time in 2026, as the competition officially got underway, with the new line-up of 15 celebrities and their professional dance partners taking to the dance floor to perform their debut routine in front of the judges.
Week one of Strictly 2026 opened with a dazzling routine by the Strictly professionals to an orchestral version of Joy by Raye. Presenting trio Emma, Josh, and Johannes joined the dance at the end of the routine before introducing the couples to the ballroom floor.
Viewers react to new hosts
And despite 15 couples taking to the dance floor with their first performances, all eyes continued to be on the new hosts, who split presenting responsibilities by Emma and Josh sticking by the judges' table, while Johannes joined the couples on the balcony ahead of the score reveal, the role previously occupied by Claudia.
There were plenty of comments about the new hosts flooding social media, with some suggesting it 'doesn't work' with three people, with only two having ever hosted the beloved programme before.
But, there was one thing confusing viewers about Johannes' role, which has since seen others rush to his defence. @tashtolive questioned: "Why has johannes started speaking before the camera cuts to him after EVERY dance, it’s barely audible , struggling to tell if it’s done this way on purpose ??? #strictlycomedancing #strictly."
@GrantSRivers wrote: "It puzzled me last night why Johannes started speaking before the camera cut to him after EVERY dance, it was barely audible & struggled to hear a single word he was saying! #Strictly." @CarolineTuckley asked: "#Strictly Why does JoJo start talking as they come up the stairs to clapping and cheering? We’re not getting to hear what he’s saying."
Fans defend Johannes
When @francescajayne_ shared: "Are the producers not going to tell Johannes that he’s continuously out of time, talking when the dancers are coming up the stairs and the viewers aren’t catching a word he’s saying?! #Strictly #StrictlyComeDancing #Strictly2026," @superTV247 replied: "This IS the producers and directors doing this, not Johannes, by the way."
@arianacvpid echoed: "He’s just doing what they tell him, it’s not his fault no one could hear him." @scddevereaux added: "The director will be in Jojo’s ear telling him when to speak, it’s down to sound mixing that we couldn’t hear him over cheers, not Johannes, he will have been doing exactly as directed #strictly."
