Strictly ratings slump to 5 million as insiders say BBC's flagship show is 'in resus' after amateurish launch

From the Newshound archive · first published 3 October 2026.

Strictly Come Dancing's revamped presenting trio has sent ratings crashing to 5.049 million viewers, down from 6.2 million at the same stage last year, prompting an internal blame game at the BBC. Staff reportedly described last Saturday's first live show as "the darkest weekend in Strictly's history," with the atmosphere reportedly feeling "absolutely amateurish." Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe replaced stalwarts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, but viewers have been left cold by the new line-up. The blow was sharpened when Claudia Winkleman's new BBC show 'Celebrity Traitors' pulled more than 9 million viewers on the same week.

Former Strictly pro James Jordan said the three-host set-up "doesn't really work" and Josh would be better placed in Claudia's backstage room.

Josh Widdicombe quit social media this week after a wave of online backlash following his debut performance.

Matt Willis defended wife Emma as "perfect" for the role, but even his backing came with a telling admission — it was "not on our bingo card for 2026."