Strictly confirms Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe as new hosts

The two new presenters will be replacing Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman (Picture: BBC)

Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe have been announced as the new hosts of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, following Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly’s shock exit last year.

It comes after a ‘long, drawn-out process’ during which presenters reportedly underwent screen and chemistry tests before bosses came to a final decision.

After whittling it down to a top ten, it’s Emma, Josh and Johannes who impressed the most.

A source had previously claimed the Big Brother host had been chosen as a ‘safe pair of hands’ who is already a ‘household name’.

The insider told The Sun that ‘the BBC know she will do the job justice’.

Last month, the publication also reported that a final decision was being made after a week of secret auditions.

The broadcaster has a big back catalogue of presenting experience (Picture: Rex Features/Shutterstock)

A source told them: ‘They really didn’t want to get this wrong, which is why it’s been such a long drawn out process.’

The new Strictly host dodged revealing anything by responding: ‘Uhh, no.’

Emma Willis has had a long career presenting. She started out in the early noughties as a host on MTV before moving onto other shows with ITV.

In 2007 she presented the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! spin-off show on ITV2 with her husband, Matt Willis, and then went on to secure gigs on This Morning, The Hot Desk and Loose Women.

She is also associated with Big Brother, having presented the show from 2013 until 2018.

Recently, Emma and Matt have hosted the first two series of Love Is Blind UK on Netflix.

Bruce Forsyth was Strictly Come Dancing’s original co-host with Tess until he retired in 2014. The TV veteran died three years later, ‘quietly and in peace’, with his family by his side, at age 89.

Back October 2025, long-standing presenters of the show Tess and Claudia announced their departure via Instagram, letting followers know they would be passing on ‘the very sparkly batton’ to whoever came next.

Tess, 56, said at the time: ‘After 21 wonderfully joyful years on Strictly, we have decided that the time is right to step aside.

Tess and Claudia waltzed away from the gig at the end of last year (Picture: Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire) Emma and her husband Matt Willis have hosted Love is Blind for the last two seasons (Picture: ITV/Kieron McCarron/Shutterstock)

Now, the BBC has confirmed that the trio will take over and present the channel’s flagship Saturday night show.

For months, various names have been doing the rounds and labelled as favourites to replace the strong double-act.

Amongst them were Alison Hammond, Zoe Ball, Emma Willis and Rylan – but now we know exactly who will be telling us to ‘keep dancing’ come September.

It Takes Two hosts Janette Manrara and Fleur East were also rumoured to be in the running for the gig replacing Tess and Claudia.

The spin-off show will now be a vodcast-style programme, according to The Sun, looking similar to The Traitors: Uncloaked and The Apprentice: You’re Fired.

Strictly Come Dancing is expected to return for its 24th season in September 2026.

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