Sara Cox has thrown her support behind Strictly Come Dancing’s new presenting line-up, describing the shake-up as exciting despite the criticism it has faced.
The Radio 2 presenter praised Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe as a strong team when speaking to Heat magazine.
Sara previously revealed that she had been in the running to host Strictly herself, although she ultimately missed out on the role.
The new trio has faced scrutiny since the 2026 series launched, with Josh attracting particular attention after appearing to miss cues during Saturday’s live show.
There has also been frustration among some viewers over Emma being ‘sidelined’ while Josh has taken on a more prominent role on the dancefloor.
Sara Cox praises Strictly host Emma Willis’s live-TV experience
Sara was full of praise for the three presenters when asked about their new roles.
“I think it is really exciting and I love all three of them. Emma especially has done loads of live TV. That really is her happy place and she’s brilliant at it,” she told Heat.
Emma’s extensive experience in live broadcasting was something Sara singled out, while also expressing confidence that the three presenters would support each other as they settled into the job.
Asked if she had offered the trio any advice, Sara played down the pressure that comes with presenting a major live TV show.
She said: “If you go to work and you’re a brain surgeon, it’s life or death. If you go to work and it’s on the radio or on telly, it’s just entertainment. Hopefully, you know no-one’s going to die. They’re a really good team and they’re going to look after each other.”
Strictly host Josh Widdicombe missed cues repeatedly
The pressure of the new presenting set-up was particularly noticeable during Saturday’s live programme.
After speaking to contestant Cach Mercer backstage, Johannes handed proceedings back to Josh and Emma before asking who was dancing next.
The broadcast then cut to Josh standing silently on stage, with the comedian appearing to realise his cue moments later.
Another handover appeared to go wrong later in the show, prompting viewers to comment on the apparent slips.
“Josh has missed his cue at least twice now,” one viewer observed.
“Why does Josh keep missing his cue?” another shared.
Sara also opened up about her own nerves when she landed her Radio 2 role, joking that taking on Strictly as well would have been a lot to handle.
Despite that, she revealed that she did get the chance to try presenting the programme for a morning.
Sara compared the experience to cosplay and said it was great fun, offering a glimpse of what might have been had she landed the full-time role.
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