Strictly Come Dancing confirms Emma Willis as new host alongside Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe

After months of guessing and speculation, Emma Willis has been officially confirmed as the new host of popular BBC series Strictly Come Dancing, alongside comedian Josh Widdicombe and professional dancer Johannes Radebe.

A seasoned host of Great British reality TV juggernauts like Big Brother, The Voice and The Circle, Willis will be taking over the reins from co-hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly when the BBC flagship show returns in the Autumn.

BBC Pictures.

The long-term Strictly-presenting duo revealed they would be stepping away from the beloved celebrity dancing contest mid-way through 2025's series, having spent 12 years hosting it together.

Their bombshell announcement sparked a competitive race for the coveted position, with TV stars such as Rylan Clark, Alison Hammond and Zoe Ball all rumoured to be in contention.

But It Takes Two presenter Ball revealed last week on her Dig It podcast with Jo Whiley that she did not get the job and has “worked through the seven stages of grief and rejection”.

However, Willis beat out the competition in what was reported to be a thorough audition process that included screen and chemistry tests.

She said: "It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Strictly - I’ve cheered and danced along from my sofa for years - so to be stepping into the Strictly ballroom is something I can’t quite comprehend. It’s impossible to fill the shoes that Tess and Claudia have left behind - two wonderful, iconic women who have been the beating heart of Strictly for so long. I can only hope that we are able to help to steer the ship as beautifully as they have, into this new chapter. I can’t wait to spend my weekends with Josh and Jojo, the incredible dancers and the judges. Fingers crossed for a 10 from them!"

Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images

The presenting trio marks the first time the show will have three presenters, the BBC said, with Radebe first joining as a professional dancer in 2018. He was partnered with Doctor Who star Alex Kingston for the 2025 series of the show, and said of joining as a presenter: "To be returning to Strictly Come Dancing in this new role is beyond anything I ever imagined. This show has always stood for joy, heart, and togetherness, and I feel deeply honoured to now help carry that magic forward. To do it alongside the formidable Emma Willis and the utterly brilliant Josh Widdicombe makes it even more special. I’m ready-sequins, nerves, and all...please bear with me. Love Jojo."Comedian Widdicombe added: "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. I adore Emma and Jojo and can’t wait to spend my weekends with them. I’ll dust off the penguin costume."

Daly, who has just split from celebrity husband Vernon Kay, was paired with legendary broadcaster Bruce Forsyth for the first nine years of the show's existence, before Winkleman joined as the new co-host in 2014.

Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announced they were leaving Strictly last year (Kate Green/Getty Images for the NTA's)

Daly and Winkleman announced their decision to leave Strictly on October 23, 2025, giving a joint statement in an Instagram video.

"We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream," they said.

"We were always going to leave together, and now feels like the right time.

"We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series and we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to every single person who works on the show. They’re the most brilliant team and we’ll miss them every day.

"We will cry when we say the last 'keep dancing' but we will continue to say it to each other. Just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza. Tess & Claud."