Strictly Come Dancing professional Johannes Radebe has described the Princess of Wales as 'angelic and regal' after meeting her at the Royal Variety Performance in 2025. The dancer, who will co-host the show this autumn alongside Emma Willis and Josh Widdicombe, encountered the Prince and Princess of Wales while still in costume as drag queen Lola from the West End production Kinky Boots.
Meeting the Royals in Heels
Johannes, still wearing his 'denim boots' and full drag makeup, recalled a humorous exchange with Prince William. 'William said: "I don't know how you do it in those heels!" I replied: "I can teach you if you like". We both laughed,' Johannes told Hello! Magazine.
The dancer also curtsied to King Charles and Prince William. Of Catherine, he said: 'I'd never been that close to her before. There's something so angelic and regal about her. She was so gracious, talking to everyone, and really engaged.'
A Dream Waltz with the Princess
Johannes confessed he would love to waltz with Catherine to Audrey Hepburn's 'Moon River' from the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's. He also suggested that William might 'surprise' everyone on the dance floor in a 'samba costume'.
New Presenting Role on Strictly
Earlier in June 2026, Johannes revealed that the Strictly team is still working out the duties of the new presenters, who will replace long-standing hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. Speaking on Heart Breakfast with Amanda Holden and Jamie Theakston on June 8, Johannes said: 'It was a massive surprise, and I am - for lack of a better word - I am nervous, and I'm excited about it all at once.'
He added: 'Did I see it coming like you said? No, I did not. So when I was offered the opportunity to come in for the chemistry test, I was like, "You know what?". As my agent said, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained".'
Auditioning with Co-Hosts
Johannes confirmed that he auditioned alongside Emma Willis and Josh Widdicombe. 'Yes, we did. So you can imagine the three of us walking into the room and seeing each other. We're like...' he said, trailing off.
When asked about specific roles, Johannes stated: 'Jamie, there's no set info yet as to how that is going. Everything is in planning at the moment. We are still going to figure out how it's going to work.'
