Hosting Strictly Come Dancing is widely regarded as one of the most coveted and high-profile roles in British television. So when Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman decided to step down, the BBC faced the daunting task of filling their shoes. For months, executives searched for a worthy replacement, considering a host of famous faces. Ultimately, it was Josh Widdicombe, Emma Willis, and Johannes Radebe who impressed bosses the most.
No strangers to television, the trio were announced as the new Strictly hosts last week. Josh appeared on the 2024 Christmas Special dressed as a penguin, dancing alongside professional Karen Hauer, who will not return for the upcoming series. He marks the first male host since Bruce Forsyth, who died in 2017. Sir Bruce co-hosted with Tess Daly until his retirement in 2013, when Claudia took over.
Born in Hammersmith in 1983, Josh completed a Master's degree in magazine journalism at City, University of London. He became a regular on Stand Up for the Weak before making his debut on Mock the Week in 2012. That year, he also co-hosted The Last Leg alongside Alex Brooker and Adam Hills. He and Alex appeared on The Million Pound Drop, winning £100,000 for their chosen charities. The following year, he became a regular on The Last Leg after Channel 4 renewed the show. Josh featured as a comedian on The Apprentice spin-off and became a regular panellist on Mock the Week.
In 2014, he debuted on Have I Got News for You and won Celebrity Mastermind with a score of 24. He was also announced as the new host of Fighting Talk on Radio 5 Live alongside George Thompson. Josh starred in the BBC Three Comedy Feeds pilot Josh, which he co-wrote with Tom Craine. BBC Three ordered a second full series, followed by a third and final series in 2017. In 2015, he became the first-ever contestant on the Dave game show, winning the series. That year, he also performed on BBC Radio 4's Arthur Smith's Balham Bash and Absolute Radio's The Franke Skinner Show.
The star supported stand-up comedians Russel Howard, Michael McIntyre, Alan Carr, Stephen Merchant, and Shappi Khorsandi on their tours. He then hosted a weekly radio show on XFM, initially broadcast on Saturdays but moved to Sundays to coincide with his Fighting Talk role. Josh made four appearances on Live at the Apollo and became a team captain on the BBC Two comedy panel show Insert Name Here, which aired in January 2016 and returned for two more series. He hosted a 1990s football nostalgia podcast and live shows called Quickly Kevin, Will He Score?, featuring footballers such as Iain Dowie, Darren Huckerby, Pat Nevin, and Matthew Le Tissier.
In 2019, Josh began hosting the panel show Hypothetical with James Acaster for Dave. The following year, he started a parenting podcast with comedian Rob Beckett, titled Lockdown Parenting Hell, later renamed Parenting Hell after the third national lockdown. He published his first book, Watching Neighbours Twice a Day... How '90s TV (Almost) Prepared Me for Life, in 2021, which made The Sunday Times bestsellers list. In 2023, he voiced a character in the preschool animated series Big Lizard and later voiced Barnsley in the Bluey episode Butlers.
Josh made his Strictly debut in the 2024 Christmas Special, which he described as the worst day of his career. He told The Sun: 'I had the worst day of my career. We all had to get up and do a group dance. All the big celebs were there – me, Nitro from Gladiators. All the biggies. We all started dancing and I realised I was the worst dancer. This wasn't meant to happen.' Last year, he debuted on BBC Radio 2, sitting in for Romesh Ranganathan on his Saturday Show alongside Siobhan McSweeney.
On a personal note, Josh married Rose Hanson, a TV producer, in 2019. Rose has worked on successful programmes including 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Live at the Apollo, Would I Lie To You?, and Alan Carr: Chatty Man. The couple have a daughter named Pearl, born in 2017, and a son named Cassius, born in 2021.
Josh will join Emma Willis, who was revealed as the new host last week after emerging as the frontrunner during a rigorous audition process. Tess and Claudia announced in October that they would leave Strictly at the end of its 23rd series, which concluded in December. BBC bosses hope Josh will replace Claudia's comedic energy and help put contestants at ease, while Emma will steer the show. The BBC told the Daily Mail: 'Plans for Strictly Come Dancing 2026 will be confirmed in due course.'
A source said last week: 'Josh blew the producers away with his dead-pan, witty banter. He is family friendly, having helmed several shows now, and loves Strictly.' They added to The Sun: 'The bosses believe he will be ideal to take the show into a new era. After years as a stand-up, he can handle a live audience and is razor-sharp. He's not a household name yet, and so to step into Brucie's shoes would be a stellar move for his career.'
Emma Willis, a popular presenter, impressed during the Strictly chemistry tests, with the BBC seeing her as a safe pair of hands. A source said: 'Emma has been offered the Strictly job and is going to accept. She absolutely nailed the chemistry tests and the BBC adore her. Emma is a household name and a safe pair of hands so the BBC know she will do the job justice. She's incredibly popular with the public too and will suit the role down to a tee. She was absolutely thrilled to have been offered the job.'
Meanwhile, Johannes Radebe is reportedly set to join Emma and Josh as part of the hosting line-up for the new series. The South African-born dancer and choreographer, 39, has been a professional on the show since 2018, but a new report claims he could be presenting this year. A source said: 'Everyone involved in the auditions – including the celebs – are saying the job is going to JoJo. During the chemistry tests he was paired up with every other celeb and did incredibly well.' The insider added to The Sun: 'They all think he would be the perfect partner for Emma. He has been announced as one of the returning professional dancers but that doesn't mean bosses aren't going to promote him.'
