Josh is best-known for his comedy work, appearances on Channel 4’s The Last Leg and his appearance on Strictly in 2024.
Josh has an intriguing family link to the television industry and a surprising royal connection (Image: Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images for Bauer)
This year’s season of Strictly Come Dancing has seen some major changes, including three new hosts following Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly’s decision to step down from their role as presenters.
Stepping into their shoes will be Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe. Many may know the latter best for his comedy work or his appearances on Channel 4’s The Last Leg, or alternatively when he appeared on the popular BBC dance competition in 2024.
What you may not know is that Josh has an intriguing family link to the television industry and a surprising royal connection. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter
The comedian’s wife, Rose Hanson, avoids the spotlight of fame, but does work in the TV industry.
The pair married in 2019, and while her husband performs in front of cameras, Rose contributes to television from behind the scenes as an accomplished producer. They share two children, a daughter named Pearl who was born in 2017 and a son named Cassius who was born in 2021.
Rose has worked on popular programmes including 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Live at the Apollo, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Alan Carr: Chatty Man, and Would I Lie To You?
However, she isn’t the only member of her family drawn to television – her mother was among the creators of Zippy, the iconic puppet from the 1980s children’s favourite Rainbow.
Speaking on Rob Brydon’s podcast, Josh joked about the unusual connection between his spouse and the fictional character, saying: “I’d be lying if I said that hadn’t crossed my mind at points in the sense there’s an obvious comparison to be made.
“And then the thought of your mum creating a fictional character that you then, not end up marrying, but if there’s a Hollywood movie and it turned out that Zippy had been made into a human, and then it was me, it wouldn’t be outlandish.”
The comedian has also opened up about some deeply personal experiences on an episode of Parenting Hell, the podcast he co-hosts with fellow comedian Rob Beckett.
He spoke candidly about the silence surrounding his wife’s miscarriage, saying: “The reason I haven’t spoken about it is because when Rose was pregnant which came after the miscarriage, you feel like – I know this sounds mad – but you don’t want to tempt fate.”
He continued: “I was just like, ‘I just want to get to the end of this.’ I didn’t feel like I wanted say, ‘but now we’ve got a happy ending because we’re pregnant again’, because you still feel like you’re part of it.”
The experience was filled with anxiety as Josh went on to explain: “When you’re pregnant after a miscarriage, every day feels perilous, like it could go wrong in the way you just don’t feel before.”
When appearing on Who Do You Think You Are? in 2021 Josh was astonished to discover his connection to the Royal family.
They traced his lineage and found he was descended from the Earl of Holland. Josh’s 13-times great-grandmother, Lady Katherine Knollys, was a cousin of Queen Elizabeth I.
Katherine held a prestigious role within Queen Elizabeth I’s household, serving as Chief Lady of the Bedchamber and even caring for the Royal pets – a monkey and a parrot.
Josh was startled by the links he unearthed during his Westminster Abbey visit, where he found Katherine’s grave amongst Britain’s aristocracy and monarchy.
He said: “To say it’s exceeded my expectations is the understatement of a lifetime. I was just expecting a couple of farmers. I’m astonished at what I’ve uncovered.”
Yet the most significant discovery arrived later in the programme when Josh learnt that Katherine might have been more than simply the Queen’s cousin.
Historian Dr Owen Emerson disclosed that Katherine’s mother Mary had an affair with Henry VIII, who effectively acknowledged they were intimate, prompting certain historians to theorise that Katherine was his illegitimate daughter.
He said: “So some respected historians believe I’m descended from Henry VIII.”
Josh was stunned to learn his ancestry extends to royalty, with King Edward I as his 23-times great-grandfather and French King Phillip III his 24-times great-grandfather, establishing him as a direct descendant of French royalty.
The comedian continued: “That’s just astonishing. It’s proper blue blood isn’t it.
“I’m not who I thought I was, I’ll be honest with you. I don’t know where to start. Can you use the word ‘star-studded’ to describe a family tree? It’s an all star cast.”
You can watch Strictly Come Dancing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 7.25pm on Saturday, September 19.
