‘I’ve been writing about Strictly for 10 years and this is what I didn’t see coming’

Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe were under the microscope on Saturday night, and how they dealt with that level of pressure and scrutiny proved they could be in it for the long haul

It would have been incredibly nerve-wracking for new Strictly hosts Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe on Saturday night after the intense backlash from last week.

So I was very surprised this week when the trio of presenters managed to dust themselves off and come back with a punch. While there’s still the need to iron out a few kinks (let’s not talk about that Salsa joke), the presenting format ran much smoother on Saturday night.

Former presenter Claudia Winkleman is an impossible act to follow, which is especially evident if you’ve watched her backstage. She is so natural and manically witty that it seems effortless. However, she struggled immensely with nerves and Tess Daly was her rock. Her co-star would often go to her off-screen to help calm her down.

She previously told the Mirror: “If you ever see Tess doing the show wearing something with a big sleeve, it is because I have hurt her arm where I have squeezed it because I am so nervous.”

Claudia added: “In live TV, we are tiny cogs and if you go off-piste and talk too long then you mess it up for everybody.”

And that would have been the fear for Johannes and Josh on Saturday night, not to mention the added scrutiny of being new presenters with a rocky live debut under their belt.

The audience reaction is often quite telling and although there were some lulls in mirth over some of the uninspired pre-scripted jokes, the crowd appeared to be on Josh, Emma and Johannes’ side and were actively willing them to succeed. And that’s half the battle.

Josh and Johannes are new to presenting, and the strides they’ve made in just one week is incredibly impressive. They just need a bit more time and experience under their belt. It was a big risk for bosses to switch it up and try out three presenters at the helm, two of whom aren’t experienced in live TV.

And it’s probably that inexperience that is letting Josh and Johannes’ nerves get the better of them at times. “Will it ever stop being terrifying?” Josh had joked ahead of his first live show. “I hope not, because hosting something like this should be the best kind of terrifying.”

And in a way, he’s right. He’s just got to find the best way to direct his nerves. It clearly worked for Claudia, and seasoned presenter Emma herself has spoken about how she channels her nerves.

Ahead of the first live show, she said: “I’m feeling nervous for sure, but I was told recently that nerves and excitement are the same feeling – it just depends on how you mentally approach the emotion, to determine whether it’s fear or joy.

“So I’m like right ok, we can have all of that feeling. A little bit of nerves because it keeps you on your toes, and it means you care.”

Will Emma, Josh and Johannes be successful Strictly hosts? Only time will tell, but we need to give them a chance to succeed.

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