Craig Revel Horwood Defends Strictly Come Dancing Hosts

The BBC's revamped Strictly Come Dancing presenting team has drawn contrasting assessments from television personalities and former show professionals, with judge Craig Revel Horwood defending the newcomers while former professional dancer Brendan Cole questioned the changes. Speaking on BBC Breakfast on Friday, October 9, Revel Horwood supported Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe as they continued their first series together.

The trio replaced longtime presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman when the competition returned for its 24th series in September. According to reports from AOL and the Mirror, viewers have expressed mixed reactions, particularly about having three presenters instead of two and Widdicombe's suitability for the program.

Revel Horwood criticized the scrutiny directed at the new hosts, describing the press coverage as "disgusting." He argued that the presenters needed time to establish their working relationships and develop a natural on-screen dynamic.

"I think the hosts are wonderful," Revel Horwood said.

He singled out Willis for praise and expressed confidence that Widdicombe would become more comfortable in his new role.

"I love Emma - love, love, love her. Josh is hilarious," Revel Horwood said.

He also offered a positive assessment of Radebe, a former professional dancer who has moved into presenting for the series.

"He's going to come into his own."

Revel Horwood described Radebe as a "breath of fresh air" and highlighted his dance knowledge as an advantage when discussing performances with contestants.

"I love JoJo. He is the first person ever that we've had presenting, who actually knows what he's talking about dance-wise, which I think is great, because he can actually talk technically about it."

Explaining why a new presenting partnership takes time to develop, Revel Horwood compared the team to a family and referred to the working relationship between BBC Breakfast presenters Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt.

"It's like a family. You're going to find your way, and you have to form relationships," Revel Horwood said.

He used the breakfast program's presenters as an example of how colleagues establish an effective partnership.

"It's like you guys," Revel Horwood told Munchetty and Stayt.

He then asked the pair to consider the importance of developing mutual understanding when presenting together.

"Don't you? You've got to agree with that?" Revel Horwood asked.

Munchetty agreed that building such a relationship takes time.

"Absolutely," Munchetty said.

Professional dancer Lauren Oakley has also defended the new hosts. In a statement shared on Instagram the previous week, she praised their welcome to the Strictly team and their treatment of the celebrity contestants.

"We couldn't be in safer hands than with these beautiful people," Oakley said.

She described the program as a supportive environment in which celebrities can take on unfamiliar challenges.

"Strictly is about family, uplifting others, and creating a safe space for celebrity contestants to be vulnerable and do something so outside of their comfort zone. This trio have been so warm and welcoming, and they felt like family from the minute they stepped into the studio, and we LOVE having them with us," Oakley said.

Widdicombe subsequently reshared Oakley's statement on his Instagram Stories, according to AOL's report.

Radio presenter Sara Cox also expressed support for the lineup despite having been linked to the presenting vacancy herself. The Mirror reported that Cox spoke to Heat magazine about the new team after missing out on the role that ultimately went to Willis.

Cox acknowledged the scale of the changes and said she was enthusiastic about the new presenters.

"I think it is really exciting and I love all three of them. Emma especially has done loads of live TV. That really is her happy place and she's brilliant at it," Cox said.

Asked about offering advice to the newcomers, Cox contrasted the pressures of entertainment with those of other professions. She said the presenters appeared capable of supporting one another as they settled into their roles.

"If you go to work and you're a brain surgeon, it's life or death. If you go to work and it's on the radio or on telly, it's just entertainment."

Cox continued by emphasizing the importance of teamwork rather than treating the change as a matter of life and death.

"Hopefully, you know no-one's going to die. They're a really good team and they're going to look after each other."

Cox also recalled the secrecy surrounding the presenter auditions. She discussed the process with Willis during a Radio 2 broadcast, describing how candidates were transported to screen tests without being told the destination or the identities of their fellow applicants.

"Can we talk about the fun pandemonium of those secret auditions. The car turned up to pick you up and not saying where it's taking you, which was weird as a control freak," Cox said.

Willis confirmed that the audition process had been deliberately kept confidential.

"It was the most cloak and dagger thing I've ever been a part of," Willis said.

She explained that candidates were not told who would join them for the screen tests and that a fictitious television program was used to prevent the taxi company from discovering the real purpose of the journeys.

"They wouldn't tell us who we were screen testing with, would they? They wouldn't tell us where we were going. They made up a fake TV show for the cab company so that nobody would get suspicious," Willis said.

Cox recalled the invented program title used during the arrangements.

"Britain's Lovely Gardens," Cox said.

Willis was nervous during the process, but BBC producers helped her feel comfortable before she secured the position, according to the Mirror.

Brendan Cole, who appeared as a professional dancer on Strictly from 2004 until 2017, offered a more critical assessment during an appearance on Jeremy Vine on 5. He said he was struggling to enjoy the current series, citing the new presenters, changes to the professional dancer lineup and the length of the Saturday program.

Cole said the new lineup differed substantially from what established viewers had experienced previously.

"It's not what people are used to," Cole said.

He acknowledged that the casting choices had attracted attention but said he remained unconvinced by the overall presentation.

"I think the signings are interesting, let's say. I'm not enjoying it so far."

Cole praised Willis while questioning whether Widdicombe matched the show's style. He also expressed reservations about some of Radebe's presenting mannerisms, although he considered the former professional dancer a natural fit for Strictly.

"I think Emma's been great. I think Josh is trying to be great, and I don't think he's a bad host, but does he fit Strictly? I'm not sure."

He added that Radebe belonged on the program but criticized his repeated affectionate greetings to contestants as they entered the ballroom.

"Johannes obviously fits Strictly, but I don't want to hear, 'my darling, my darling, my darling' every time someone comes up the stairs."

Cole questioned whether BBC executives would reconsider their decisions after seeing the audience response.

"So I think the BBC are probably looking at themselves now and going, 'Eek, have we made the right decision?'"

He characterized the presenter and professional dancer changes as a substantial gamble, while making clear that he did not oppose the idea of refreshing the show itself.

"I don't disagree with the moving on," Cole said.

He explained that television programs needed to evolve, although he believed changing both the contestants and presenters represented too much disruption at once.

"I think you've got to change your show."

Cole said the scale of the overhaul could make it difficult for longtime viewers to embrace the new version.

"I think making those changes – the contestants and then the hosts – it's a massive change for people and I don't think people are loving it."

He also questioned the length of the main Saturday broadcast, which he said extended beyond two hours and 20 minutes.

"People are watching TV in a different way these days," Cole said.

He described the duration as a further obstacle to watching the complete program.

"I struggle to get through two and a half hours on the main show on a Saturday night. It's long. It's a big watch."

The series' latest changes have therefore prompted support from Revel Horwood, Cox and Oakley alongside criticism from Cole. In the competition's third week, celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton, 43, became the first contestant eliminated, leaving after a dance-off against actress Jaime Winstone during Sunday's show, according to AOL.