Overview
- The show introduced an experimental three‑person presenting team of Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe and used a pre‑recorded, choreography‑led launch to reveal the celebrity couples.
- Overnight figures for the first live show in late September averaged about 4.8 million viewers while a Strictly spokesman said the programme peaked at 5 million and remains the most‑watched show of the night.
- Audiences criticised the division of on‑air duties, with social media noting missed cues and awkward staging for Josh Widdicombe and timing errors for Johannes Radebe.
- Emma Willis was photographed looking subdued after the backlash and posted upbeat behind‑the‑scenes messages on Instagram, and her husband Matt Willis publicly defended her suitability for the role.
- Producers and the BBC say they are still trialling who does what on live shows and point to on‑demand viewing when contextualising overnight drops, with coverage also noting prior dancer departures and BBC welfare reforms that have changed recent audience benchmarks.