Josh Widdicombe Celebrates Strictly Hosting with Fish and Chips

He's landed one of the most sought-after gigs on TV, but it may come as a surprise to see Josh Widdicombe celebrated being Come Dancing's new host in a more low-key fashion.

On Tuesday it was announced that the comedian would join Emma Willis and as the new faces of the show, after and 's departure last year.

Josh took to Instagram on Tuesday to share he'd celebrated the announcement by enjoying fish and chips in the rain with his wife Rose Hanson and their daughter Pearl, nine, and son Cassius, five.

Posting a snap of the meal, he captioned the post: 'Celebrating in style (and in the rain).'

After the confirmed Strictly's hosting lineup, many former stars and professional dancers offered their congratulations.

Among those was Josh's former dance partner , who was axed from the professional lineup last month, after dancing with The Last Leg star in the Special in 2024.

She commented: 'Now THAT is a lineup, can't wait to watch! PS: Glad to see that penguin suit didn't put you off Josh.'

The news was confirmed on Strictly's official Instagram page, with the trio coming together.

The caption read: 'It's official….September 2026.'

In the video, Emma and Johannes kissed each other on the cheek as they sat on stools, before Josh was invited over to join them.

'It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Strictly – I've cheered and danced along from my sofa for years – so to be stepping into the Strictly ballroom is something I can't quite comprehend,' said Emma of her new role.

'It's impossible to fill the shoes that Tess and Claudia have left behind – two wonderful, iconic women who have been the beating heart of Strictly for so long.

'I can only hope that we are able to help to steer the ship as beautifully as they have, into this new chapter.'

She added: 'I can't wait to spend my weekends with Josh and Jojo, the incredible dancers and the judges. Fingers crossed for a 10 from them!'

Josh, who is a fan of the show and competed as a contestant on the 2024 Christmas special, said he was 'giddy with excitement' to have won a presenting slot.

'Dancing the Charleston dressed as a penguin for the 2024 Christmas Special of Strictly remains my career high point, so I am giddy with excitement, honoured and a little overawed to be given the chance to step into the biggest shoes in television,' he said.

'I adore Emma and Jojo and can't wait to spend my weekends with them. I'll dust off the penguin costume.'

Johannes said that being given the opportunity to host was 'beyond anything I ever imagined'.

He said the long-running show 'has always stood for joy, heart, and togetherness', and he feels 'deeply honoured to now help carry that magic forward'.

He added: 'To do it alongside the formidable Emma Willis and the utterly brilliant Josh Widdicombe makes it even more special.

'I'm ready-sequins, nerves, and all...please bear with me.'

Emma was the first of the trio to be signed by BBC bosses after a shortlist of presenters underwent chemistry reads and screen tests over the course of the last few weeks.

Last week, Josh emerged as the shock favourite to host the BBC dance show alongside Emma after impressing bosses.

Johannes, one of Strictly's most beloved professional dancers, who has been part of the show since 2018, will take on presenting duties for the first time.

Partnered with Alex Kingston last year, Johannes will not have a celebrity partner this year as he takes on the role of a roving reporter, although he will be participating in group dances.

The South African dancer quickly became a fan favourite due to his flamboyant routines and outgoing personality and is currently starring in Kinky Boots on the West End stage.

Certainly a breakout star of the show, he has appeared in an episode of Doctor Who and has competed on Celebrity MasterChef.

In 2023, he published his memoir Jojo: Finally Home, which became a bestseller.

A number of high-profile names were in the running to land one of the roles, including Zoe Ball, Rylan Clark, and Angela Scanlon.

Zoe, who has been a stalwart of the BBC for over 30 years, recently told of her ‘grief’ at not landing the role having auditioned.

Thanks to her presenting stint on the show’s spin-off It Takes Two from 2011-2021, and her popularity with the general public, she was considered a top candidate.

'I didn't get it, but it's okay,’ she said on an episode of the Dig It podcast with Jo Whiley.

'I have worked through the seven stages of grief and rejection over the last couple of days.’

She added: ‘No, I didn't get it. But I tell you what, if [it's] who I think has got it, we're in safe hands and our new hosts are going to be fabulous.

‘I'm so thrilled for them, and hopefully at a later date we'll be able to talk about them in more detail.’

Josh and Johannes mark the first males to front the programme since Bruce Forsyth, which could prove some big shoes to fill.

Sir Bruce – who died in 2017 – starred alongside Tess until his retirement in 2013, when Claudia then took over.

Josh has appeared as a co-host on The Last Leg alongside Alex Brooker and Adam Hills since 2012.

Bosses will be hoping Josh will serve as a replacement for Claudia's comedic energy and help put contestants at ease, while Emma will steer the show.

Emma started her career as an MTV presenter in 2002 and in 2007 she landed a role on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! NOW! – a spin-off of the main ITV realty show.

But it wasn't until 2013, when she landed the role as the host of Big Brother on Channel 5 and The Voice UK on the BBC, that she became a household name.

She fronted Big Brother until 2018 and moved over to ITV with The Voice, which she still presents, over a decade later.

She met Busted singer Matt Willis during her stint at MTV and the pair soon become one of the showbiz scene's most high-profile couples.

They married in 2008 at Rushton Hall, Northamptonshire and a year later had their daughter Isabelle, 16. They went on to have son Ace, 14, and Trixie, 10.

They have even presented together in the past – appearing on ITV2's I'm a Celebrity spin-off and hosting Netflix's UK version of Love is Blind.

The Beeb have recently given an insight into what fans can expect for the 24th series of the much-loved programme.

The likes of Dianne Buswell, 37, Nancy Xu, 34, Vito Coppola, 33, Julian Caillon, 30, Carlos Gu, 33, Lauren Oakley, 35, Amy Dowden, 35, Katya Jones, 36, Neil Jones, 44, Nikita Kuzmin, 28, Jowita Przystał, 31, Aljaž Škorjanec, 36, Alexis Warr, 25, and Kai, 30, will be returning to the dance floor this year.

They will be joined by some new professional dancers who are yet to be announced.

Karen Hauer, 43, Gorka Marquez, 35, Nadiya Bychkova, 36, Michelle Tsiakkas, 30, and Luba Mushtuk, 36, were all given the boot.

The celebrities will be judged by Shirley Ballas, 65, Craig Revel Horwood, 61, Motsi Mabuse, 45, and Anton du Beke, 59.