Zoe Ball has been widely praised for her gracious reaction to the announcement of the new Strictly Come Dancing hosts, after she revealed earlier this month that she had been 'rejected' for the job. The BBC confirmed on Tuesday (May 19) that Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe will take over as hosts for the 2026 series, replacing Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
Ball, who previously hosted Strictly's spin-off show It Takes Two, had spoken on her Dig It podcast about her disappointment, saying she had 'worked through the seven stages of grief and rejection'. However, she also expressed confidence in the new line-up, stating: 'If who I think has got it, we're in safe hands and our new hosts are going to be fabulous.'
Following the official announcement, Ball took to the comments section of Strictly's Instagram post to congratulate the trio, writing: 'CREW. Congrats Emma Jojo and Josh. You're gonna ROCK IT.' Her supportive message quickly drew praise from fans, with many calling her a 'class act' and expressing sadness that she did not get the role.
Ball was among several names linked to the hosting role, including Rylan Clark, Alison Hammond, Bradley Walsh, Amanda Holden and Angela Scanlon. She was the first to publicly confirm she had taken part in screen tests and was no longer in the running.
