The first live show of Strictly Come Dancing has confirmed the same presenting issue that marred the series opener. Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe returned to Elstree Studios for the first live show, and the problem from last week remained.
In the debut episode, Emma outshone her male co-stars, Josh visibly trembled through his lines, and Johannes seemed to wish he were dancing rather than presenting. Three presenters made the show feel crowded rather than bigger, with the trio competing for space instead of complementing one another.
Josh's awkward onstage pairing
A week on, the issue persists. Josh felt like an awkward spare part when paired with Emma onstage to speak to the judges after the dances. With over-the-top jokes and missed cues, Josh came across as the work experience boy, with Emma as the unlucky manager having to shadow him.
While Josh is a talented comedian, his skills seemed wasted as a presenter. The flow of the show was repeatedly cut off as he squeezed in another joke, leaving the banter with the judges feeling stilted. He might be more at home with the stars in the auditorium, where a more relaxed environment could stop him from switching between a lamb going to the slaughter and a child clamouring for attention.
Rough hand dealt to Josh
Josh was dealt a rough hand by show bosses following the backlash he faced after his debut. The positioning of the presenters made it clear that three hosts were not needed, and Josh was the unfortunate one who stood out.
Smooth and charismatic Emma took the stage, while Johannes chatted easily with the stars and dancers, despite battling a quiet mic and a few missed links. In fact, he seemed so at home with them that it raised the question of whether he would have been better kept as a dancer.
Need for a rethink
Strictly's bosses need to have a rethink. If they want people to keep tuning in, they need to either swap Josh and Johannes or ditch one of them.
Apart from the presenter issue, it was business as usual for the first live show. YouTuber John Nellis had a surprisingly strong foxtrot with Katya Jones, pinpointing him as one to watch this series. Delta Goodrem and Lacey Turner also made strong debuts, but for the rest of the celebrities, nerves seemed to get the better of them.
Shaun Wright-Phillips struggled with his nerves, essentially walking around the stage as Alexis Carr shimmied and tossed her hair to cover it up. Melanie making an omelette for half of her routine, while funny, did not count as ballroom dancing.
That is the beauty of Strictly. With the celebrities, bumbling footwork, dropped elbows and comedic cliches are expected. It is part of the fun, and it makes standout performances all the more extraordinary. But while celebrities are allowed to make missteps, presenters do not have the same luxury. There are plenty of live shows left and time for improvement, but if bosses want to see Strictly live another year, they should intervene, and quickly.
