"What could possibly go wrong?": Strictly's Josh Widdicombe speaks out on "terrifying" live show

Strictly Come Dancing host Josh Widdicombe has opened up about his nerves ahead of the first live show of the new season, with the comedian admitting that the experience is "terrifying".

The BBC dance competition returned to screens last weekend (19 September) with a pre-recorded launch show, in which Josh joined Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe to form the show's new hosting team.

The trio, who were widely praised by viewers, took over hosting duties from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who left the series last year after over a decade presenting together.

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Speaking ahead of tonight's first live show, Josh admitted to feeling some pressure, with the comedian quipping: "What could possibly go wrong? Loads of things, but let's not focus on them.

"I think it's going to be really, really fun. It's going to feel utterly surreal, just as terrifying as the first one. Will it ever stop being terrifying? I hope not, because hosting something like this should be the best kind of terrifying."

Josh's co-hosts also opened up about how they were feeling, with Emma saying: "I'm feeling nervous, but I was told recently that nerves and excitement are the same feeling - it just depends on how you mentally approach the emotion to determine whether it's fear or joy."

"So I'm like, 'right okay, we can have all of that feeling. A little bit of nerves because it keeps you on your toes, and it means you care. And then bucket loads of excitement'. I've also missed presenting live telly so I can't wait - who knows what's going to happen?!" she added.

Echoing the sentiments of his co-hosts, Johannes said that he was "excited, terrified and pretending to be very calm", with the professional dancer adding that he was looking forward to the big event.

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"The launch show was my first proper taste of this new chapter, but the live shows are the real thing," he said. "There's nowhere to hide, so I'm going to have to trust my preparation, trust the team and trust myself."

"And actually, I'm really looking forward to it. There's something very special about live television. You get one shot, you have to be present, and you get to experience those moments with the audience at home as they happen," he added.

Strictly Come Dancing airs on weekends on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy. 

A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre. 

In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.