Josh Widdicombe has said he tries to pay no attention to social media as he faces backlash over his presenting skills on Strictly Come Dancing.
On Saturday, September 26, the comedian joined co-hosts Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe for the first live show as the new hosting trio on the BBC ballroom competition.
The 43-year-old is facing criticism over his broadcasting abilities from the dance floor alongside Willis, 50, at the weekend, with some claiming he kept “missing his cue” and looked like a “spare part”.
On-air moment sparks criticism
After chatting with Cach Mercer backstage, Radebe asked Widdicombe and Willis: “Who’s dancing now?” The shot then cut to Widdicombe staring blankly onstage before realising it was his cue to speak. The same issue appeared to happen again during another handover.
In the latest episode of his podcast Parenting Hell with fellow comedian Rob Beckett, Widdicombe revealed that he has “pulled the drawbridge up” on what he consumes on social media. He said that he has been using the Brick - a screen-time blocking device which locks distracting apps on a smartphone - after a recommendation from Beckett.
Long-standing battle with phone use
Widdicombe has previously detailed his “addiction” to his mobile phone. In a 2021 interview with The Telegraph, he said that our relationships with our phones are the “worst thing about modern life”.
“I can’t even go to the toilet without taking it with me. It’s the first thing I do when I sit down, I take my phone out and mindlessly scroll. I look at the BBC website, Instagram, refresh emails, Whatsapp, and then back to the BBC… it’s mind numbing,” he said.
Discussing his complex relationship with social media, he first started trying to limit his use almost two decades ago. He said: “I pulled the drawbridge up in 2008 when I started standup.” He said that whilst he is still on social media, he sees it as a waste of time.
Support from fans online
Earlier today, Widdicombe took to his Instagram Story to reshare a round-up post from the official Strictly Instagram page from the first live show. It was captioned, "Caught on camera from week one!" and featured a snap of him flashing a peace sign while posing backstage with Willis.
The comments on the post were full of support for Widdicombe after he received “disgusting” comments about his presenting abilities.
