Josh Widdicombe has addressed his time on Strictly Come Dancing after receiving major backlash. The comedian, 43, became the new presenter of the BBC show alongside Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe following the exits of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
Many have hit out at Josh's broadcasting abilities, with some claiming he "missed his cue" and looked like a "spare part" while presenting alongside his co-hosts.
One-word response
Josh hasn't spoken out much about his time on the show, however, he did re-share a round-up post from the official Strictly Instagram page after week one had concluded. He has now posted once again, sharing a clip from Saturday night's show.
The video, originally shared by judge Shirley Ballas, showed her pulling out her miniature shoes and using them to explain how a contestant went wrong with their footwork. "Actual footage of me and my tiny shoes annoying my fellow judges for a full 39 seconds," she wrote in the caption.
Josh reposted the clip with his own caption, simply writing: "Iconic."
Backlash and support
Josh, Emma, 50, and Johannes, 39, made their debuts during the Strictly launch show in September, but the backlash intensified following the first live show. Many praised Emma's presenting experience, while others suggested that "three's a crowd" and there simply isn't room for Josh.
However, Josh said his working relationship with Emma and Johannes has always felt like a team effort, and described hosting Strictly as a "joyous" experience.
Before the first live show, he was asked what his favourite thing was about working with Emma and Johannes. "That we feel like a team where there's no ego," the dad-of-two said. "That there's no one wanting to put themselves out front more than the others. That we feel like we've all got our different personalities and they gel together."
He added: "Emma and Johannes are just so generous, sweet and funny - they make working on Strictly feel even more exciting and joyous to me."
Meanwhile, Strictly professional Lauren Oakley jumped to the defence of the presenters' after seeing the criticism they were receiving. "We couldn't be in safer hands than with these beautiful people," she wrote on her Instagram Stories. "Strictly is about family, uplifting others, and creating a safe space for celebrity contestants to be vulnerable and do something so outside of their comfort zone.
"This trio have been so warm and welcoming and they felt like family from the minute they stepped into the studio, and we LOVE having them with us." Lauren added: "Professional, funny, kind and fantastic at what they do. I couldn't feel more lucky to be sharing the screen and our Saturday nights with them!"
