Strictly Come Dancing fans have urged the BBC to swap Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe after the first live show of 2026. Viewers noticed that Johannes was positioned at the top of the stairs, the role previously held by Claudia Winkleman, while Emma Willis and Josh remained by the desk downstairs.
Fans question hosting line-up
Several viewers took to X to argue that Josh’s comedy skills were being wasted in his current position. @Katie_Lewis_ wrote: “Erm, why isn’t Josh doing the top of the stairs bit?” They added: “He doesn’t need to be standing there interrupting the judges. Get rid of Johannes and put Josh up there. I hope #Strictly realises this for next week.”
@sarahlawson84 agreed, adding: “Sorry but Josh does not need to be downstairs with Emma.” Meanwhile @zanecaspersz wrote: “I actually think JoJo and Josh need to swap places. Josh can fill the comedy value more upstairs, while JoJo’s lack of hosting can pair nicely with Emma. I don’t mind two hosts downstairs. We just need to get over that.”
Criticism since debut
The three new hosts have faced criticism since their first show last week, with Josh and Johannes described as out of their depth and nervous compared to Emma. Last week, a fan called Owen claimed Emma was “outshining the other two”. Others said “three’s a crowd” and that the trio did not have enough to do, leaving one feeling like a “spare part”.
“3 presenters just seems unnecessary, don’t see the point of it,” Suzi wrote, while Sue added: “The intro was far too long and as for presenters, two’s company three’s a crowd!”
Josh admits nerves
Josh, who has faced the harshest criticism, admitted he felt nervous ahead of the live show. “What could possibly go wrong? Loads of things, but let’s not focus on them,” he told the BBC. “I think it’s going to be really, really fun. It’s going to feel utterly surreal, just as terrifying as the first one. Will it ever stop being terrifying? I hope not, because hosting something like this should be the best kind of terrifying.”
Strictly Come Dancing airs on weekends on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
