Devon's Josh Widdicombe has told the Radio Times he never expected his Strictly Come Dancing hosting opportunity to work out. He initially thought fellow newcomer Johannes Radebe might be his competition.
The comedian and presenter, 43, is from Haytor Vale. He will join Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe to front the BBC show when it returns this weekend.
His first meeting with the former Strictly professional left him questioning what bosses had in mind. Josh said he and Johannes, 39, were both surprised when they met at a private London venue.
He recalled: "You could see us go 'WHAT?' This is a weird duo. Surely they're not going with me and Jojo?" Rather than assuming they would be sharing presenting duties, Josh wondered whether producers were choosing between them.
He said: "I thought that perhaps they were putting two wild card, oddball choices in the same room to see who to choose." The Mock the Week star admitted he had kept his expectations low throughout the process, reports Wales Online.
"I thought the whole experience was a fun thing that would fizzle out. It's dangerous to dream, right?" he said. Despite those doubts, the BBC announced Josh's appointment in May.
He, Emma and Johannes will make their debut as the new hosting trio in this weekend's Strictly Come Dancing launch show, when the celebrities will be paired with their professional partners.
They take over from Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly, who left the programme in 2025 and presented their final episode during that year's Christmas special. Tess, 57, had hosted Strictly since its launch in 2004, initially alongside Sir Bruce Forsyth.
Claudia, 54, began on spin-off It Takes Two before joining Tess on the Sunday results show. She replaced Sir Bruce on the main show in 2014. Emma has described stepping into Claudia and Tess's shoes as "terrifying", acknowledging their long-running partnership and devoted following.
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Josh Widdicombe Shares Surprising Strictly Job Response