Overview
- The BBC replaced long-running hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly with Josh Widdicombe, Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe for the current Strictly season.
- Revel Horwood, a judge on the show since 2004, said the change felt like a “jolt” at first but that he is now “really loving” the season and thinks the new hosts add extra energy.
- He highlighted Johannes Radebe as the first host on the programme who can demonstrate dancing, and said that physical credibility gives the presenting line-up a new dimension.
- Revel Horwood praised a recent format experiment — a Halloween Week three-couple dance-off in which judges voted on who to send home — and said he would like to see that way of voting used again.
- Critics have pointed to a dip in viewing figures, with reports of a 4.8 million launch versus 6.2 million last year and weekly averages of about 5–6 million versus roughly 7 million in 2025, leaving producers to balance refreshment with audience expectations.