ITV broadcaster Judy Finnigan has criticised Josh Widdicombe's hosting on Strictly Come Dancing, calling him "needy, clingy and a bit desperate" in her column. Her comments come seven weeks after series 24 premiered with Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Widdicombe fronting the show.
Widdicombe has faced ongoing scrutiny from viewers unimpressed with his hosting skills, with some labelling him "awkward" and claiming he looked like a "spare part" alongside his co-hosts.
Finnigan's verdict on the hosting trio
Writing in her column, Finnigan said: "Sorry, but Josh is needy, clingy and a bit desperate." She added: "I will go to my grave a committed Strictly fan. And fans stick with their objects of devotion through thick and thin. So what I write here, I write out of dogged loyalty and hope for the future."
Finnigan noted that "ratings continue to tumble and are consistently down on previous series, shedding around a million viewers," though she said "key bits of it still work," including the judges' panel, which she described as "steady on the bridge of a wallowing ship."
Criticism of Widdicombe's presentation
She praised Emma Willis as "by common consent a brisk, no-nonsense host down on the dancefloor," but said Willis is "forced to share what is manifestly a solo gig with the biggest piece of miscasting since Sam Fox and Mick Fleetwood anchored The Brits."
Finnigan wrote: "Comedian Josh Widdicombe seems like a decent chap, and in other incarnations he can be genuinely funny. But on Strictly he comes across like Rick Moranis as Sigourney Weaver's nerdy neighbour, Louis, in Ghostbusters. Needy, clingy, a bit desperate, and why wasn't he dressed for the occasion in last week's Halloween special?"
She questioned: "Why the same old dreary banker's suit? He stood out like a sore thumb. The wardrobe department did Josh no favours."
Suggestions for future series
Finnigan said Johannes Radebe "is at least growing in confidence up in the 'Clauditorium'," although she added that "most of the 'celebrities' this year are totally unknown to most viewers."
Urging Strictly bosses to reconsider the line-up, she suggested: "Next series? More household names, fewer presenters. Two's company. You know the rest."
Her comments come days after judge Anton Du Beke hinted at possible backstage turmoil. Speaking on stage at Bath, the 60-year-old told the audience: "I spoke to somebody the other day and they were like, 'It's getting a bit much'." He added: "It's somebody who's been on it not that long, a little while, and I understood that. I thought about it for a while, and I wondered if they will be on it or whether they will decide to step away."
