Strictly Come Dancing star Ellie Taylor replaces Emma Willis in BBC role

Emma Willis has got a pretty packed schedule this autumn, as she begins her hosting duties on Strictly Come Dancing. But while she's soaking up the sparkles in the ballroom, her BBC Radio 2 show will be in safe hands.

The lunchtime show, which airs on Saturdays, will be taken over by fellow Strictly star Ellie Taylor. Her first day on the job will be next week (26 September), with the show airing in its usual 1-3pm slot.

"I cannot wait to be back at Radio 2 and am thrilled to be looking after Emma's Saturday show while she waltzes off to Strictly," Ellie said.

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"I always have so much fun with the Radio 2 listeners, who can expect plenty of great tunes, guests and surprises from me, but most importantly a lot of fun."

Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2, added: "I'm so pleased Ellie will be joining us throughout the autumn and winter – it is always such a joy to hear her on Radio 2. Her warmth and laughter will be a great addition to our superstar Saturday line up, whilst Emma sashays over to the Strictly ballroom."

Ellie is no stranger to the airwaves, having been a main and fill-in presenter for a number of radio shows. The comedian also runs a podcast with Anna Whitehouse called Ellie & Anna Have Issues, which is released every Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Ellie will also be joining the Strictly family this year, having participated in the 20th series in 2022, alongside professional dancer Johannes Radebe. While Johannes, Emma and Josh Widdecombe will be hosting the main competition, Ellie will be at the helm of spin-off show It Takes Two from 28 September.

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The 24th series of Strictly kicked off last night, with a glamorous launch show that confirmed this year's dancing duos. But despite the star-studded line-up, viewers were more impressed with the presenting team, branding them 'naturals'.

"So far Johannes, Emma and Josh are doing a fantastic job, I must say! Johannes more of a natural at presenting than I thought he would be!" one wrote on Twitter/X, with another agreeing: "Huge congratulations Emma Willis you would have thought she had been hosting [for] years. She's a natural."

Strictly Come Dancing airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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Divya is a freelance writer with experience in entertainment and lifestyle news. Described as a "telly addict" since childhood, Divya was able to translate her interests into a BJTC-accredited, Honours degree in Journalism and Media. After working in communications and marketing, Divya joined Digital Spy as a Freelance News Reporter. She has also written for various publications including Metro, Asian World News and TwitCelebGossip; as well as interviews, features and reviews on her own blog. Divya prides herself on her TV, film and showbiz knowledge, always offering (not so) fun facts to her long-suffering friends and family. From soaps to superheroes, Divya is the go-to person for tailored recommendations and up to date information.