Josh Widdicombe takes to the ballroom floor as a presenter for the first time on Saturday evening (September 26) as Strictly Come Dancing's live shows begin. The comedian joins Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe as the new presenting team, replacing Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. Fifteen celebrity couples will perform, with judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke handing out the opening scores. There will be no public vote or elimination this week.
From Christmas special to main show
This is not Josh's first encounter with the iconic ballroom. He appeared in the show's Christmas special in 2024, delivering an energetic Charleston alongside professional partner Karen Hauer, performed to "Let It Snow" while the pair wore matching penguin costumes. The duo were pipped to the post by eventual winner Tayce and professional dance partner Kai Widdrington, who claimed perfect 10s from every judge on the panel.
Josh is perhaps best known to television audiences as a team captain on Channel 4's The Last Leg, a role he has held for over thirty series alongside Adam Hills and Alex Brooker. He also claimed victory in the inaugural series of Taskmaster. The 43-year-old co-hosts the popular podcast Parenting Hell alongside Rob Beckett, which the pair launched during the coronavirus lockdown. He has penned several books, is a familiar face on the panel show circuit, and has graced the stage at the Royal Albert Hall for The Royal Variety Performance.
Family life and royal connections
Josh has been married to his wife, Rose Hanson, since 2019, and together they have two children - a daughter named Pearl, born in October 2017, and a son called Cassius, who arrived in May 2021. The family previously resided in East London before relocating to Exeter, in the county where Josh grew up. They now call home a property once owned by TV presenter and Deal or No Deal icon Noel Edmonds.
His interior designer wife, Rose, is a success story in her own right. As an accomplished TV producer, she has played a key role in bringing shows such as 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and Live at the Apollo to our screens. Showbiz talent clearly runs in Rose's family, as her mother was the celebrated puppeteer and creator Violet Philpott, who breathed life into the much-loved character Zippy from the classic 80s children's television programme, Rainbow.
In 2021, Josh received the shock of his life upon uncovering a royal connection during his appearance on the BBC One programme Who Do You Think You Are? It was revealed that he is indeed a distant relative of the notorious monarch Henry VIII, through his 13x great-grandmother, Lady Catherine Knollys, widely believed to be the illegitimate daughter of Henry VIII and his mistress, Mary Boleyn, the sister of Anne Boleyn.
Speaking on the programme, Josh said: "To say it's exceeded my expectations is the understatement of a lifetime. I was just expecting a couple of farmers. It's proper blue blood, isn't it?"
The royal discoveries didn't end there, as The Last Leg star also uncovered a connection to Edward I, who reigned as King of England from 1272 to 1307, making him Josh's 23x great-grandfather. Josh can even lay claim to some French heritage, with his 24x great-grandfather being the French King Phillip III. Elsewhere in the episode, Josh learned that his 10x-great-grandfather, Henry Rich, served as a trusted adviser to none other than King Charles I.
Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturday evenings at 6:15 pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, with the results show following on Sunday evenings.
