Strictly Come Dancing has returned for its 24th series with a new presenting team, five new professional dancers and a cast that has prompted questions about whether the BBC show has lost some of its former star power.
Emma Willis, former professional dancer Johannes Radebe and comedian Josh Widdicombe have taken over from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who left at the end of the 2025 series.
The new trio appeared together for the first time on Saturday night, although the three-presenter format was described as awkward and forced in a sceptical assessment of the launch.
Radebe told viewers: “Never in a million years did I think it would be the three of us standing in this spot.”
Willis was characterised as an experienced live television presenter, while questions were raised over Radebe’s delivery and Widdicombe’s tendency to giggle. The programme’s new era follows a series of scandals which had unsettled some long-standing fans.
The celebrity cast includes Dani Dyer, Hollywood hairstylist Chris Appleton, former footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips, actress Jaime Winstone, Delta Goodrem and Emmerdale actor Lawrence Robb.
Other contestants include EastEnders actress Lacey Turner, House of the Dragon star Bethany Antonia, Olympic skeleton racer Tabby Stoecker, dog behaviour expert Graeme Hall and football-focused content creator John Nellis.
However, the line-up has been criticised for lacking the familiarity and prominence associated with earlier series. The contrast was drawn with Celebrity Traitors, whose current cast includes James Blunt, Jerry Hall, Michael Sheen and Ross Kemp.
Strictly Come Dancing faces questions over its latest changes
Despite the reservations, the return retained many of the elements that have long defined Strictly Come Dancing. Its opening number lasted six minutes, while the costumes, make-up, music, lighting, choreography and dancing were praised as evidence of the production’s continuing creative ambition.
The revamped pairing process was described as unnecessarily complicated, while the volume and energy of the presentation also attracted criticism.
There are 13 weeks remaining before the final, leaving time for the contestants and the new presenting team to establish themselves. But the latest series has intensified the question of how long the BBC’s long-running dance show can continue to command the same attention.
Strictly Come Dancing launched in 2004, when Tony Blair was prime minister and Facebook had only just been launched.
