Strictly Come Dancing is preparing for its biggest makeover in years, with a new presenting team and a revamped companion show ushering the BBC favourite into a new era.
There has been a long-running joke within BBC towers that, in recent weeks, staff have been frantically hitting Google like never before as they familiarise themselves with some of the names now attached to the programme.
Emma Willis, comedian Josh Widdicombe and former professional dancer Johannes Radebe will present the main series when it returns this autumn, replacing long-standing hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
The appointment of Widdicombe, who appeared in the 2024 Strictly Christmas special, has prompted particular curiosity. He is expected to bring a more overtly comic presence to the role previously associated with Winkleman.
Radebe, meanwhile, is moving from the dance floor to the presenting team after becoming one of the show’s most popular professional dancers. His new role is understood to include reporting from behind the scenes, while Willis will take the lead on the main live broadcasts.
The changes follow the departures of Daly and Winkleman after the 2025 series. The BBC said the new trio would bring “undeniable” chemistry to the programme, which remains one of the corporation’s most closely watched entertainment brands.
There will also be changes to Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two. The BBC spin-off, previously hosted by Fleur East and Janette Manrara, is being overhauled as part of an effort to freshen up the format.
Its executive producer, Eve Winstanley, has stepped down ahead of the relaunch, saying it was time to “hand over to a new team to freshen things up”. The BBC has not yet confirmed the full details of the replacement format or its presenters.
The main series is expected to retain judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke, with the new hosts facing the task of preserving the familiar Strictly atmosphere while giving the programme a distinctly different feel.
