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The 24th series of *Strictly Come Dancing* has made its much-anticipated return to television, marking a fresh chapter for the show with a new trio of presenters at the helm. This year, Emma Willis, comedian Josh Widdicombe, and former professional dancer Johannes Radebe have taken over hosting duties from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who departed last year. The premiere episode captured an average audience of 5.3 million viewers, securing a 49.2% share of overnight ratings—a noticeable 7% improvement compared to the previous year. Additionally, the show maintained a strong presence on iPlayer’s popular charts the following day.
Saturday’s launch introduced a range of contestants taking their first steps onto the dance floor, including actress Melanie Walters and ex-England footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips. The show unveiled the celebrity-professional pairings through an innovative format featuring three dance routines wherein the pairs changed partners until the music ceased, designating each couple. The episode also peaked with 200,000 more viewers than last year’s opening, illustrating a rise in early interest. Despite strong live numbers, the BBC emphasized that these figures do not fully capture the total viewership, considering the number of fans accessing the show via catch-up services.
Among the notable partnerships this year are reality TV star Dani Dyer teaming up again with Nikita Kuzmin after having to withdraw last series due to injury, and Bethany Antonia forming one of the rare same-sex dancing pairs alongside Nancy Xu. Antonia shared a heartfelt reflection on how seeing Nicola Adams and Katya Jones dance together in 2020 played a significant role in her personal coming-out experience. Other contender pairings include EastEnders’ Lacey Turner with Vito Coppola, Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey with Julian Caillon, and Shaun Wright-Phillips partnered with Alexis Warr. Reigning champion Karen Carney also returned for a special performance, reprising the jive that helped define her winning journey alongside professional dancer Carlos Gu.
The judges—Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas, and Anton Du Beke—played a smaller role during Saturday’s launch compared to previous years, though Horwood did manage to deliver a sharp quip about presenter Will Best’s dancing: “Call in the paramedics darling, dislocation – my goodness.” The show wrapped with the customary send-off as hosts Willis, Widdicombe, and Radebe encouraged the contestants to “staaart dancing!” while bidding goodbye to viewers.
Media commentary on the new presenting team has been mixed but cautiously optimistic. Rachel McGrath and Lauren Morris of *The Independent* noted Emma Willis’s strong command of the role, attributing this to her extensive experience, while acknowledging that the dynamic felt occasionally crowded with three hosts. Michael Hogan of *The Guardian* questioned whether three presenters might be too many but ultimately recognized the trio’s smooth handling of the show’s demands, singling out Radebe’s valuable insights from a professional dancer’s perspective alongside Willis’s confident stewardship. Emine Saner, also writing for *The Guardian*, described the new hosts as embodying a blend of humility and genuine enthusiasm, though she pointed out that some professional dancers might now be better known than their celebrity partners.
In contrast, Anita Singh of *The Telegraph* was more critical of Josh Widdicombe’s contributions, describing him as out of place on the show, while praising Radebe and Willis for their natural presence and rapport with contestants. Sasha Morris of the *Express* was less forgiving, branding the male presenters as a “total car crash” and observing that Willis’s charisma far outshone her co-hosts. Morris also questioned the necessity of having three presenters, suggesting the move reflected a lack of confidence in both Widdicombe and Radebe’s ability to carry the show independently. Still, many agree that the real test for the new team will come with the show going live in the weeks ahead
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