Josh Widdicombe opens up on "intense" Strictly Come Dancing after becoming new host

With Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman leaving Strictly Come Dancing last year after a decade as co-hosts together, the new hosting trio of Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe had a lot to live up to.

For Widdicombe, a comedian best known for his roles on panel shows such as The Last Leg and Mock the Week, it's certainly been a new experience. And in his own words, he said joining the long-running BBC series has been "intense".

During an appearance on Thursday's (8 October) episode of spin-off series It Takes Two, the presenter shared with Ellie Taylor that the first dance off and subsequent elimination was particularly stressful.

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"Week two felt like, 'oh this is just what we do now'," he said. "Week one was nicer for the dancers because - I know this sounds weird - but when I took the Strictly job, I didn't realise how difficult elimination was going to be.

"The emotions of it, it's so intense and you feel terrible. Do you know what, being upstairs with Jojo, talking to the couples that got through, what a sweet gig that is. Poor old Emma downstairs! It's really sad."

Despite the pressures of the job and the mixed reception that the new hosting format has received from fans, Widdicombe shared that he was very much enjoying his time in his newfound role.

"I'm enjoying myself, I'm having a lovely time," he said. "I think just how many people in Waitrose keep coming up to me to talk to me about it. It's wild. You can't go to the supermarket without people coming up to you to offer their opinions on Strictly.

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"They're all good, just to be clear. But I had a 70-year-old woman swear at me! She dropped a four-letter word I was not impressed with. She was so angry about who her favourite ones were!"

The BBC series returns on Saturday (10 October) as the 14 remaining couples take to the dance floor once again, all in the hope that they avoid the fate of Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden from last weekend's dance off.

Strictly Come Dancing airs on BBC One, while It Takes Two airs on BBC Two.

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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media.  His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.