Emma Willis has set the record straight on Johannes Radebe’s role behind the scenes on Strictly Come Dancing.
The Strictly Come Dancing presenting trio will share hosting duties rather than directly stepping into the shoes of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
Emma, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes explained how the new format will work during an appearance on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast.
Emma also rubbished any suggestion of Johannes being a “roving reporter” on the BBC show.
The comments make it clear that viewers should not expect Johannes to become the show’s permanent backstage presenter.
Emma Willis rules out a Strictly roving reporter
Emma was keen to quash reports that Johannes would take on a “roving reporter” role away from the main action.
“There’s definitely no backstage roving reporter, which is what has been reported quite a bit,” she said on the podcast. “That’s not a thing.”
She also revealed that the new format will not see any of the trio directly replacing Strictly’s former hosts, Tess and Claudia.
“There’s no like for like, so no one’s kind of replacing anybody,” Emma explained.
Exactly how the presenting duties will be divided remains unclear as the production team continues to work with all three hosts.
Emma explained that production days give them a chance to try different ideas and see how the trio work together. Josh likened the approach to Total Football, where players move between positions during a match.
He said: “It’s going to be like total football, Richard. We’re going to be moving everywhere.”
Johannes’ role has attracted plenty of attention from fans after he recently returned to Strictly’s 2026 professional dancer line-up. He features prominently in the trailer for the new series.
The dancer has also made it clear that becoming a presenter does not mean he will stop dancing on the BBC show.
Appearing on Emma’s BBC Radio 2 show, Johannes said: “I will definitely be throwing some shapes and moving my hips.”
Strictly Come Dancing trio began as a wild-card idea
The unusual three host format was not originally planned as the replacement for Tess and Claudia, according to show insiders.
The search for the new presenters lasted around four months. It involved tightly controlled chemistry tests with different combinations of potential hosts.
Emma described the secretive process as “the most cloak-and-dagger thing I’ve ever, ever been a part of”.
The presenters were even given a cover story for their journeys to the studio, with drivers told they were taking them to a gardening programme called The Great Garden Glow Up.
“All we knew was the day that we were going and the time that we had to be there, and that the car would come and pick us up. We had no idea of the location,” Emma said.
Once they arrived, producers had created a miniature Strictly studio where they could test different combinations and presenting positions.
Josh and Johannes were initially tested together before producers decided to bring Emma into the mix as a wild card.
Emma said: “The fact that there was a chemistry test, I mean, it’s been a long time since I’ve even seen, heard or been in a chemistry test. And it was terrifying.
“But honestly, [it was] brilliant. Why don’t they just do them more?”
When does Strictly Come Dancing 2026 start?
Strictly Come Dancing launches on Saturday September 19, 2026 at 7.25pm on BBC One. The launch show will also be available through BBC iPlayer.
The full celebrity line-up has already been revealed, although the BBC is yet to announce who will be paired with each professional.
And with Emma, Josh and Johannes still figuring out exactly how they will work together, viewers can expect an interesting new dynamic when the show returns.
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