Strictly: New hosts explain their roles as they reject 'roving presenter' reports
The new presenting team for Strictly Come Dancing has clarified that they will not have fixed roles, opting for a flexible, collaborative approach. The hosts dismissed rumors of a 'roving reporter' position and described their casting as a spontaneous decision by producers.
Why it matters
As a major cultural institution, changes to the format and personnel of Strictly Come Dancing are of significant interest to the UK television audience.
Image source, BBC/PA Media Image caption, Johannes Radebe, Josh Widdicombe and Emma Willis said their presenting roles are "kind of open" and not defined
Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe have said they will not have "fixed roles" on Strictly Come Dancing, as they prepare to replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman later this month.
Daly and Winkleman left the programme together at the end of the 2025 series.
Daly was the host on the dancefloor, introducing the dancers and judges, while Winkleman did the post-dance debrief upstairs in the "Clauditorium".
"No one's replacing anybody - at the minute it's all very kind of open," Willis told Richard Osman on The Rest is Entertainment podcast.
They also scotched reports of Radebe having a "roving reporter" role , external on the show, with Willis saying: "There's definitely no backstage roving reporter, which is what has been reported quite a bit."
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in