Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood has jumped to the defence of the show’s new presenting team.
Last month, Craig returned for his 24th series of Strictly, where Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe took over presenting duties from outgoing hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
The trio received a mixed response for their first few weeks of hosting, and while Emma was widely praised, Josh and Johannes did face some criticism from viewers and critics.
Asked for his take on the new hosts, Craig – who, since Tess’ departure, is now the only member of Strictly’s on-screen team to have been with the show since its launch – told The Sun: “As a new team, as we’re all aware, it’s like having a new family member.
“You know… you’re just meeting, and the first Christmas together with the daughter’s new husband could be awkward.”
“It’s about building relationships,” he continued, insisting that, “in my opinion” the team is doing “a really, really good job” and that “from this level they’ll just fly”.
Singling out the “brilliant” Emma for praise, Craig said he “totally loves” the former Big Brother star, enthusing: “She knows exactly what she’s doing. She’s very natural.”
As for Josh, he called the “brilliant” comedian “very funny when he’s off the cuff”.
“I know that he will come into his own. He’s absolutely hilarious when he gets going,” Craig observed, adding that Johannes “adds something special because he has been through the whole process”.
Following the first live show of the season, Emma shared a cryptic message appearing to take aim at the presenters’ detractors on social media.
Meanwhile, presenter and TV producer Richard Osman has been weighing in with his own suggestions for how to improve things for Strictly’s new hosts.
Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday night at 6.15pm on BBC One.
