Emma Willis is expecting some “negativity” when she takes to the Strictly Come Dancing stage for the first time this weekend – but she’s ready for it.
The presenter has opened up about the scrutiny she expects to face, including comparisons with former hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
Emma, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe are stepping into the hosting roles following Tess and Claudia’s departure from the BBC show last year.
The new presenting trio have decided to share the responsibilities rather than take on set roles within the show.
However, Emma knows her Strictly debut is likely to come with plenty of opinions from viewers.
Emma Willis expects Strictly scrutiny
Emma is no stranger to live television, having presented Big Brother, The Voice UK and Love Is Blind. Even so, she knows Strictly comes with a different level of attention.
Speaking to the Press Association and other publications, Emma said she already knows what she is letting herself in for.
“I don’t know if it helps, but I definitely know what to expect,” she said.
“I’m ready for the comparisons. I am ready for the negative things, opinions that can come with these things. But on the flip side, those things I don’t engage with or read, and there are always positives as well.”
Rather than dwelling on criticism, Emma wants the new presenting team to focus on what Strictly is actually about.
She explained: “We aren’t reinventing the wheel. We’re not rocket scientists. We’re working on an entertainment show about dancing that is meant to bring joy to everybody watching it.
“Hopefully we can be a small part of that joy and have a really lovely time doing it.”
Emma admitted there are nerves involved in taking on such a major television role.
“There’s obviously a fear, because of the enormity of it and you have nerves about being good enough to step into the role,” she said.
“But there’s definitely no hesitation. As a presenter, there are few shows on for that length of time that are live television. They’re few and far between now, so it was definitely a positive aspect of it for me.”
The presenter also made it clear that she, Josh and Johannes have no plans to copy Tess and Claudia.
“We aren’t Tess and Claudia,” Emma insisted. “They bring their personality, their views and love for Strictly, and we will bring our version of that.”
Strictly hosts reveal secret audition process
Emma’s new co-hosts Josh and Johannes were also involved in the press chat, where they lifted the lid on their secretive Strictly audition process earlier this year.
The BBC sent potential presenters to a secret location, while drivers were given a fake name for the production. Emma previously revealed the project was called The Great Garden Glow Up.
Josh likened the whole experience to something from an espionage story.
“It was like being a spy in the Cold War. I was pretending I was in a John Le Carré book,” he said.
The candidates initially auditioned in pairs, and Josh had been told that a three presenter line up was not being considered.
“I remember thinking, that’s a shame because that would give me more chance to get it,” he recalled.
Josh was then left waiting for a callback when Johannes walked into the room.
Johannes remembered thinking: “I was like, are they pitching us against each other?”
Josh had apparently been wondering the same thing.
“Yeah, the two weirdos against each other, is that how this is working?” he joked.
But producers had something else in mind. Emma was brought into the room for a surprise chemistry test with Josh and Johannes.
Emma recalled the producers saying: “They said, listen, this is just kind of last minute. What we’ve seen across the week, we just wondered, could it work as a three, and how would you three be together?
“We were like, don’t know, hopefully good.”
When does Strictly Come Dancing start?
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One at 7.25pm on Saturday September 19. The launch show will run until 9.15pm and viewers can also watch it on BBC iPlayer.
Fans will get their first look at this year’s celebrities as they meet their professional partners. The new pairings will then take to the dancefloor together for the first time.
There will be a little longer to wait for the all important voting, however. The vote lines will not open until the following week, with the first live show airing on Saturday September 26, 2026.
Read more: Razzle dazzle! Strictly Come Dancing’s cast of 2026 pictured together for the first time
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