BBC Strictly Come Dancing fans have appealed to show bosses to rethink the new presenting line-up, admitting the replacement trio 'still isn't working' after the first elimination week of the 2026 series.
The season began on shaky ground with comedian Josh Widdicombe, Emma Willis and former professional dancer Johannes Radebe stepping in to replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who announced their departures during the 2025 series after more than two decades fronting the show.
Viewers were unimpressed when the first live show aired on Saturday 3 October, with Widdicombe and Willis assigned to interact with the stars and judges in the ballroom while Radebe assumed Winkleman's previous role of gathering score reactions backstage in the so-called 'Clauditorium'. Fans had pleaded for Widdicombe and Radebe to swap roles, believing Widdicombe's comedic skills would suit the looser backstage environment better than the autocue-driven floor.
When the show returned with the hosts in their original positions, a wave of online backlash followed. 'Really surprised they haven't switched and tried Josh in the upstairs role after the feedback from last week,' one viewer wrote. 'No, this presenter lineup still isn't working. #Strictly Not for me anymore,' vented another.
Widdicombe addressed the criticism when he appeared on the spin-off show Strictly: It Takes Two on 8 October, chatting to presenter Ellie Taylor. The 43-year-old opened up about co-hosting his first results show the previous weekend: 'I know this sounds weird but when I took the Strictly job I didn't realise how difficult eliminations was going to be, emotions would be... it's so intense, you feel terrible.'
There were signs the BBC was listening. During the results programme, there had been a presenter reshuffle, with Widdicombe joining Radebe in the Clauditorium to interview the dancers who had survived, leaving Willis downstairs to reveal the couples at risk. Widdicombe joked: 'Being upstairs with JoJo talking to the couples that got through... what a sweet gig that is. Poor old Emma downstairs.'
Replacing presenters as beloved as Daly and Winkleman was always going to be a poisoned chalice, but the BBC's decision to trial three hosts has divided the audience. Whether the reshuffle becomes permanent will be a key test of whether the new era of Strictly can win over sceptics.
The BBC has invested heavily in the new era, with Widdicombe, Willis and Radebe all proven television presenters. Daly and Winkleman's departures at the end of the 2025 series marked the end of an era, the pair having fronted the show for more than a decade. Viewing figures for the launch were solid, suggesting audiences are giving the new team a chance. Whether the mid-series presenter reshuffle becomes permanent may depend on audience reaction in the coming weeks. The BBC declined to comment on the hosting arrangements.