Josh Widdicombe says he would have loved to compete in a full series of Strictly Come Dancing, even though he is now joining the show as a co-host. The 43-year-old comes into the series after a 2024 Christmas special run that ended with 36 out of 40 and a runner-up finish.
Christmas special to co-host
Widdicombe will present alongside Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe when Strictly returns to One and iPlayer on Saturday September 19. The move turns a one-off appearance into a main presenting job on a long-running entertainment series, and it gives the new team a live audience reset as the show comes back.
His Christmas special dance was a Charleston in a penguin costume with Karen Hauer to Let It Snow, and he later called that performance his career high point. That is a sharp way to frame the appointment: he did not just sample the format, he left it with a score and a result that were strong enough to keep his name in the conversation.
36 out of 40
Speaking ahead of the upcoming series, Widdicombe said, "I think I'd have loved to do a full season of the show," before adding, "That would have been thrilling… but let's been honest, I wouldn't have made it through the whole season." He also said, "I don't want to say it… but I completed Strictly and had to move on!"
He pointed to Chris McCausland lifting the Glitterball and said, "Oh, this is up for grabs," then added of Bill Bailey, "Maybe being a stand-up is the way to win." The joke lands because it doubles as a small industry note: comedians have already proved they can carry the format, but Widdicombe is now stepping off the dance floor before a full run could expose the limits he admitted were there.
Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe
When his hosting role was announced in May, Widdicombe said, "Dancing the Charleston dressed as a penguin for the 2024 Christmas special of Strictly remains my career high point, so I am giddy with excitement, honoured and a little overawed to be given the chance to step into the biggest shoes in television." He added, "I adore Emma and Jojo and can't wait to spend my weekends with them. I'll dust off the penguin costume."
Johannes Radebe described the new cast, which includes Dani Dyer-Bowen, Melanie Walters, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Delta Goodrem, as "full of surprises." For Widdicombe, the practical takeaway is simple: the Christmas special earned him a larger role, and the series now opens with a host who has already tested the floor, scored well, and decided he had probably done enough dancing for one lifetime.
