Strictly viewers complain a host made 'zero effort' by wearing a plain suit for the Halloween special
Strictly need to be careful pre-recording (some) links because the sudden cut from Johannes to Emma and Josh is enough to give you whiplash, in a picture posted on X by TV Zone Extra.Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood and Anton Du Beke in Halloween costume on the Strictly ballroom floor — Motsi caught Josh Widdicombe off guard with a mid-show scare that sent him to the floor, prompting Emma Willis to declare it "2-0" to the judges.
Josh Widdicombe turned up to Strictly Come Dancing's Halloween special in a plain navy suit, triggering an immediate backlash on X. Viewers were quick to point out that all four judges had thrown themselves into the spirit of the evening — Craig Revel Horwood as the devil, Motsi Mabuse as a fairy queen, Shirley Ballas dressed as the ice queen and Anton Du Beke appearing as an angel. Co-hosts Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe made at least some nod to the theme, but complaints about Josh's outfit began circulating within minutes of the broadcast.
Former hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman had long steered clear of Halloween costumes following the 2014 incident in which Winkleman's daughter Matilda suffered burns when her witch outfit caught fire near a candle.
'I understood why Tess and Claudia didn't, but surely the new hosts could make an effort,' one viewer wrote on X, a sentiment echoed by dozens of others.
The controversy surfaces amid reports that the hosting line-up will undergo further changes ahead of next series.
