Shirley Ballas, a judge on Strictly Come Dancing, hinted at a strong connection between two of the show’s new hosts. She also announced that five new professional dancers will be joining the cast this season.
The BBC announced yesterday that Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe will host the next season of Strictly Come Dancing, taking over from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
I was really surprised to hear the news about the show! It’s a big change – Radebe, who I loved watching as a professional dancer, is leaving the dance floor to become a presenter alongside Willis and Widdicombe. It’s a whole new look for the series, and I’m definitely curious to see how it works!
In an interview with The Sun, head judge Ballas said she was also surprised by the announcement of three finalists.
I just met Josh this week, and he’s really nice,” she said. “And Emma, as many of you know, I worked with on Cooking With The Stars – she’s a very experienced presenter and a lovely person.
“And who doesn’t love some Johannes? We all love him.
“It’s going to be interesting because we thought we were getting two but we ended up with three.”
Ballas also mentioned that Willis and Widdicombe already work well together, but she’s heard Emma and Josh have incredible chemistry. It will be interesting to see how that plays out.
This new season comes after Daly and Winkleman’s last season hosting the show, marking the end of a well-known and beloved TV duo.
You probably know Emma Willis from hosting shows like Big Brother and The Voice UK – she’s a total pro! And as for Rhod Gilbert, I always see him popping up on panel shows – he’s brilliant on things like The Last Leg, Hypothetical, and QI. He’s a really funny guy.
Since joining Strictly Come Dancing, Johannes Radebe has become a fan favorite, making it to the final with John Whaite in 2021 and since then, performing in his own successful stage shows.
Ballas announced the show will have a major update for the new season, not only with new hosts, but also with the addition of five new professional dancers.
She believes the new series will be a hit, mentioning they’ve brought in five talented professional dancers.
“All in all, it’s having tweaks left, right and centre and it’s getting a new face!”
Strictly is welcoming new professional dancers after some changes to the team, as several familiar dancers have left before the show comes back later this year.
Strictly Come Dancing is available to watch on catch-up on BBC iPlayer.
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Morgan Jeffery leads the editorial content for TopMob across all its digital platforms as the Digital Editor. Before this, he worked as TV Editor at Digital Spy and has appeared as a television expert on programs like BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio 5 Live, and Sky Atlantic.
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2026-05-20 17:04