Strictly Come Dancing 2026: Emma Willis reveals the truth about Johannes Radebe's surprise presenting role
She has rubbished the 'roving reporter' rumoursEmma Willis has denied that Johannes Radebe will serve as Strictly Come Dancing’s backstage “roving reporter”.
The Strictly Come Dancing presenting trio will instead move between duties, without directly replacing Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
Emma, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes outlined the plan on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast.
Their explanation means viewers should not expect one host to remain permanently behind the scenes.
Emma Willis rules out a Strictly roving reporter
“There’s definitely no backstage roving reporter, which is what has been reported quite a bit,” Emma said in the podcast. “That’s not a thing.”
Emma also confirmed that the revamp will not assign direct replacements for Strictly’s former presenters, Tess and Claudia.
“There’s no like for like, so no one’s kind of replacing anybody,” she explained.
The precise split remains a mystery while producers continue holding production days with all three presenters.
Emma said these sessions let the team experiment and assess how everyone works together. Josh compared that flexible arrangement with Total Football, where players regularly switch positions during a match.
He said: “It’s going to be like total football, Richard. We’re going to be moving everywhere.”
Johannes’ position has sparked a flurry of questions from fans because he recently rejoined Strictly’s 2026 professional dancer line-up. Johannes is front and centre of the trailer for the new series.
Johannes previously stressed that he would not be completely removed from dancing on the BBC show now he’s been announced as a presenter.
During Emma’s BBC Radio 2 show, he said: “I will definitely be throwing some shapes and moving my hips.”
Strictly Come Dancing trio began as a wild-card idea
The three-host arrangement was not part of the original plan for replacing Tess and Claudia, according to show insiders. Recruitment for the new hosts took around four months and featured tightly controlled chemistry tests involving different potential line-ups.
Emma described the process as “the most cloak-and-dagger thing I’ve ever, ever been a part of”. The hopeful presenters said drivers were given a false gardening programme title, The Great Garden Glow Up, for the journeys to the studio.
“All we knew was the day that we were going and the time that we had to be there, and that the car would come and pick us up. We had no idea of the location,” Emma said.
At the venue, a miniature Strictly studio allowed producers to trial different pairings and positions. Josh and Johannes were tested together before producers suggested adding Emma as a wild card.
Emma said: “The fact that there was a chemistry test, I mean, it’s been a long time since I’ve even seen, heard or been in a chemistry test. And it was terrifying.
“But honestly, [it was] brilliant. Why don’t they just do them more?”
When does Strictly Come Dancing 2026 start?
Strictly Come Dancing launches on Saturday September 19, 2026 at 7.25pm on BBC One. The launch show will also be available through BBC iPlayer.
We already know the full celebrity line-up, but the BBC is yet to confirm the partnerships.
We’re also looking forward to seeing exactly how Emma, Josh and Johannes work together. It seems like they still aren’t sure themselves!
Read more: Strictly star Gorka Marquez puts himself forward to be judge on show as he teases return
Strictly Come Dancing starts at 7.25pm on BBC One on Saturday September 19, 2026.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI technology to synthesise source reporting and structured data. It has been reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.
