Comedian becomes favourite to host Strictly Come Dancing after ‘razor-sharp’ audition
While there are many exciting names said to be in the running to land one of two vacant host roles on Strictly Come Dancing, one surprise candidate is now being touted as a favourite.
Comedian Josh Widdicombe is reportedly now ‘a strong contender’ for the job, following long-time presenting duo Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s decision to step down at the end of the last series.
Recent weeks have seen names like Rylan Clark, Emma Willis, Tom Allen, Alex Jones, Bradley Walsh, Alison Hammond and last series’ breakout star La Voix in the mix, following recent ‘secret auditions’.
This past week, Zoe Ball – former finalist and It Takes Two host – and past contestant Angela Scanlon emerged from the pack and had fans convinced they would be announced as the new duo.
But now 43-year-old Josh could have changed all that, with a decision on the new presenters said to be ‘imminent’.
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A source told The Sun of his audition: ‘Josh blew the producers away with his dead-pan, witty banter. He is family friendly, having helmed several shows now, and loves Strictly.’
Bosses are thought to believe he would be ‘ideal to take the show into a new era’, especially following the scandals that have rocked Strictly in recent years.
If picked, he would be the first male host since Sir Bruce Forsyth fronted the show for its renewal from 2004 to 2013, alongside Tess.
Josh also competed in the 2024 Christmas special with pro partner Karen Hauer.
‘After years as a stand-up, he can handle a live audience and is razor-sharp,’ the insider added.
‘He’s not a household name, yet, and so to step into Brucie’s shoes would be a stellar move for his career.’
Josh and Karen performed a festive themed Charleston as penguins to Let it Snow.
At the time of his announcement, The Last Leg team captain quipped: ‘I am utterly terrified this will end in humiliation and worried I’m going to be so bad I will ruin Christmas for the nation. Why have I done this?’
However, he went on to deliver a charming and fun performance which was a real crowd-pleaser.
After competing with Gladiators star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey in the 2025 series, Karen was one of several pros who announced their exits ahead of the upcoming season, including Michelle Tsiakkas, Luba Mushtuk, and Nadiya Bychkova.
Most recently, Gorka Márquez also confirmed his exit after 10 years to take up a full-time judging role on Dancing with the Stars Spain.
Names returning to the fold include Katya Jones, Neil Jones and Nancy Xu, whose futures had reportedly been in doubt amid the mass shake-up of pros, with the BBC saying additions to the pro line-up will be announced closer to broadcast this autumn.
Meanwhile, Strictly fans have been turning sleuth to try and work out the new hosts.
ln a Strictly Instagram post sharing the details of the returning judging panel and professional dancers, several ballroom fixtures popped up in the comments to celebrate the news, including Zoe Ball and Angela Scalon.
Ball commented, ‘Boom boom boom ❤️’, while Scanlong wrote: ‘WHAT. A. CREW.’ It hasn’t gone without comment from fans, who have discussed it on the main Strictly Reddit.
‘I noticed that they are the only ones from the rumoured 10 to be commenting on the post. Correct me if I am wrong. My dream duo,’ one sharp-eyed fan commented.
Zoe, who formerly hosted the spin-off show It Takes Two from 2011 to 2021, has also followed all the judges and returning pros on Instagram.
This includes the two newest pros, Alexis Warr and Julian Caillon, who joined the show in 2025, and don’t follow Zoe back, which has been clocked as a promising sign.
It comes after it seems Bradley Walsh – another of the rumoured 10 auditio ees – has seemingly put himself out of the running to be the next host, with the announcement of his upcoming tour dates.
The Chase presenter had been one of the reported frontrunners for the coveted BBC gig for some months.
However, the 65-year-old has now announced the autumn dates for his 2026 Prat Pack tour, and a number of them could easily clash with commitments at Elsetree Studios in September.
Tess and Claudia previously announced their surprise decision to quit Strictly via a joint statement, mid-series, in October.
The co-hosts said: ‘We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream.
‘We were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time. We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series and we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to every single person who works on the show. They’re the most brilliant team and we’ll miss them every day.
‘We will cry when we say the last “keep dancing” but we will continue to say it to each other. Just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza.’
Claudia had joined Tess as co-host of the main show in 2014.
Metro has contacted the BBC and reps for Josh Widdicombe for comment.
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