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Johannes Radebe, one of the three new presenters of Strictly Come Dancing, can barely contain his glee. Asked where they were when they heard they’d got the job, Radebe is quick to wind up his co-hosts. “We’ll never forget that call,” he grins. “It was a weekday afternoon and I was at home, preparing for that night’s performance of [West End musical] Kinky Boots. But go on, tell the Guardian where you two were.”
“We all got the same message, asking us to jump on a Zoom,” says Emma Willis. “We didn’t know if it was good news or bad news.” Josh Widdicombe picks up the story: “I thought, ‘Surely they wouldn’t tell me to my face if I hadn’t got it? They’d just text my agent or something.’”
Radebe prompts him: “So where did you take the Zoom call, Joshy?” “In a graveyard in Birmingham,” confesses Widdicombe. “I was on tour, killing time walking around, and needed to go somewhere quiet. There’s nowhere quieter than a cemetery. Just to be clear, I sat against a tree, not on a grave.”
Willis’s whereabouts were equally awkward. “I was at the hairdressers with my head in the sink. The BBC said: ‘Is there anywhere private you can go?’ I said: ‘Well, either out on the street or in the toilet.’ And they were like, ‘Probably the toilet.’ So I was sat on the loo with wet hair when I got the news. Not using it, I hasten to add. Seat down.” A Birmingham graveyard and a salon toilet. Who says showbiz is all glitz, glamour and glitterballs?
When long-serving duo Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman hung up their ballroom shoes last Christmas, it sparked frenzied conjecture about who would be next to helm the BBC blockbuster. You would’ve got long odds on the combo of reality TV stalwart Willis, standup comic Widdicombe and South Africa-born professional dancer Radebe.
“We were all in shock but had to keep it secret for another fortnight,” says Willis. “The only people we could talk to about it were each other, so we immediately set up a WhatsApp group.” It’s called “OMG”, named that fateful afternoon and unchanged since. “You should never change group chat names,” says Widdicombe. “They’re historic monuments.”
The big decision came after cloak-and-dagger auditions and secret screen tests. “It was a long old process,” says Willis. “I felt like a kid waiting for Christmas. It went on forever.” “We all had separate meetings, then a week of chemistry tests,” says Widdicombe. “You had no idea where you were going or who you’d be auditioning with. You just had to get in a car, then be smuggled in to avoid any lurking paparazzi.”
The BBC even concocted a fake show to throw people off the scent. “It was called The Great Garden Glow Up,” says Widdicombe. “A producer told me ‘We wanted a show that feasibly all the auditionees would host.’ I was like, ‘I wouldn’t fucking host that, mate!’ There’s no way me and Jojo are fronting The Great Garden Glow Up! Although I could imagine Emma being good. With Tom Allen, maybe.” Willis laughs: “You wouldn’t say that if you saw the state of my garden.”
Auditions were set up as a rough approximation of Elstree Studios. “It was like a homemade Blue Peter version of Strictly,” says Willis. “There was a wallpapering table with judges behind it. On my day, it was Anton, Motsi and a couple of stand-ins.” “Shout-out to producer Joe” says Widdicombe. “He did the best Craig impression I’ve ever seen.” “My first chemistry test was actually with Jojo,” says Willis. “We must’ve done something right.”
The pair once nearly graced the ballroom in a whole different capacity. “I’d wanted to be a contestant for years and almost was,” says Willis. “A few years ago, I did a dance trial which happened to be with Jojo. We boogied together. It didn’t come to fruition but we kept in touch. When he walked into the screen test that day, I was like, ‘Yes!’” “They saw Emma with Jojo and thought, ‘That’s two-thirds of the chemistry we need!’” jokes Widdicombe.
Talking of which, why three hosts instead of the traditional two? As Willis recalls: “When we were called back in, the producers said, ‘This is a bit of a curveball but having watched all the screen tests, we want to try a trio.’ They’d never considered it before. The first time we tested together, they only had scripts for duos.”
By this stage, all three badly wanted the job. As Radebe puts it: “When we left that last chemistry test, I went home, summoned all my ancestors, got down on my knees and prayed. I desperately wanted to do it with these two. But all was not lost because if it was a no, I could come back as a dancer. It’s tough walking away from that but don’t worry, I’ll definitely find ways of dancing. I still need to be in my Cuban heels. I negotiated that in my contract!” They extol the virtues of being a trio, rather than the widely expected duo. “It feels like we’re a gang,” says Widdicombe. “There’s no ego. We’re all in this together. It also means we’re not like-for-like replacements for Claudia and Tess. It’s a new way of presenting the show and easier to make it our own.”
Press reports say the trio blew bosses away with their chemistry. Willis bats this off: “I keep hearing that and I’m like, ‘Settle down, we have to do this on telly as well.’ Our chemistry might be off the charts now but we’ll be shitting our pants for that first live show. I hear the theme music in my sleep and wake up sweating.”
Pundits assumed that Willis would be anchoring proceedings on the ballroom floor, like Daly did, with Widdicombe occupying Winkleman’s berth on the balcony and Radebe in a roving reporter role. “I understand that speculation but it’s wide of the mark,” says Willis. “There’s no roving reporter, no fixed positions. A three rather than a two is a nice point of difference but the core of the show is the same as ever. It’s about the contestants, the dancing and fantastic multi-generational fun.”
“I’m actually replacing Dave Arch as the leader of the band,” says Widdicombe. “That’s an exclusive. No, people just need to wait and see.”
As the first Black presenter of the main show, it’s another milestone for serial trailblazer Radebe. “All my life, I’ve been first in everything that I did,” he says. “It’s the perfect way to celebrate becoming a British citizen this year.” Widdicombe is proud to be part of such a progressive programme. “Strictly is a force for good,” he says. “Whether it’s disability or same-sex couples, it’s brilliant to have such an inclusive show at the centre of Britain’s entertainment industry.”
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The trio know all eyes will be on them and are braced for the scrutiny. “We’re all coming to this as Strictly fans ourselves,” says Willis. “We’re there to enjoy it alongside the viewers, rather than change anything. There’s no new set. It will still look and feel like Strictly. If any TV show is an institution, it’s this one. We just want to keep the ball in the air and not let down something so beloved by the nation.” “I squeal every time you say that,” giggles Radebe.
Willis and Widdicombe truly are superfans. Asking about their all-time favourite contestants provokes an in-depth debate. “I loved Abbey Clancy in 2013,” says Willis. “And Rose Ayling-Ellis was sensational five years ago.” Widdicombe chips in: “Although Johannes and John Whaite were terrific that year as well.” “Thank you, darling,” beams Radebe.
Widdicombe’s love of the show was prompted by parenthood. “I used to be out gigging every weekend but since we had our first daughter in 2017, it’s been our family ritual on a Saturday night. I adored Bill Bailey, Chris McCausland and Hamza Yassin. On the flipside of the coin, I found Tony Adams incredibly inspiring.” “You just liked his sparkly pants,” teases Willis.
Widdicombe may be a Strictly aficionado, but work commitments prevented him from watching last year’s series. “I was on tour, so I followed it via your Guardian liveblogs,” he says. “I’ve got to ask, will you still be doing Frockwatch? Comparing what the three of us are wearing each week? Please say yes. Jojo’s suddenly got something to play for.”
When we meet, they’re fresh from pre-recording a supersize group dance to open the series – with the new hosts front and centre. “You’re in for a treat,” says Radebe. “Josh has already been on the dancefloor [he performed a Charleston in the 2024 Christmas special while dressed as a penguin] but Emma had her first taste of what the celebs go through, especially the nerves.”
“It was a baptism of fire,” says Willis. “We were terrified but, within 10 minutes, we were having the time of our lives. It looked like the end of Grease, where everyone comes together for a dance routine. I’m living my childhood dreams.” “I loved how seriously you took it,” says Radebe. “Emma sent me a video last week of her practising in her backyard.”
Did Widdicombe’s penguin pedigree stand him in good stead? “Jojo seems to find that question amusing, for some strange reason,” deadpans Widdicombe. “They’re very different dance disciplines. I had to turn off my Charleston brain and turn on … whichever dance we were doing.” All three dissolve into laughter.
Following that razzle-dazzle group number, this year’s pairing-up process will take a new form. “Celebs and pros are coupling up live on the floor with more dance than ever,” says Widdicombe. “It’ll make a thrilling start to the series.” “It’s roulette meets the Instant Dance Challenge,” says Radebe. “I’m jealous I won’t be part of it.” In another departure from the previous era, expect these hosts to don fancy dress for theme weeks. “Try and stop us!” chorus Willis and Widdicombe. “I’ll be in heaven,” says Radebe.
They’re due back in the ballroom, so it’s time for one last question. How will the new-look line-up gauge their success? “I suppose if we’re asked back next year,” says Willis. “Getting a second series is always a good measure.” “I won’t consider this a success until I win Frockwatch,” says Widdicombe. “It’ll be the biggest upset in TV history!”
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Saturday 19 September.
