“WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO STRICTLY?” VIEWERS REACT TO NEW HOSTS AFTER TESS AND CLAUDIA EXIT

Strictly Come Dancing has returned with a completely new presenting line-up — but viewers have wasted no time making their feelings known.

The BBC dance show welcomed Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe as its new presenting trio, replacing long-time hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.

And while some viewers have embraced the change, others have admitted that something feels different without the familiar duo.

“IT’S JUST NOT THE SAME”

The new presenting team made their debut when the 2026 series launched on September 19.

Almost immediately, viewers took to social media to discuss the dramatic change.

One viewer admitted: “Never thought I’d say this, but I miss Tess…”

Another questioned the decision to overhaul the presenting format altogether, describing the choice of hosts as unusual.

A third viewer simply wrote: “This is just not the same! I miss Tess and Claudia.”

Others focused on the decision to have three presenters, asking why the BBC needed such a large presenting team.

The reaction has highlighted just how strongly audiences had become accustomed to Daly and Winkleman after years of watching them front the programme.

BUT EMMA WILLIS HAS WON PLENTY OF PRAISE

The response has not been entirely negative.

In fact, Emma Willis has received significant praise from viewers who believe she has quickly settled into the role.

One fan described her as a “natural successor to Tess,” while another said she was already impressing them.

There has also been support for the trio as a whole, with some viewers encouraging audiences to give the presenters time to establish their own chemistry.

One fan urged viewers to “give them a chance,” arguing that change can be difficult when audiences have grown attached to a familiar line-up.

THE FIRST LIVE SHOW BROUGHT EVEN MORE ATTENTION

The first live show of the new series took place on September 26 and marked another major test for the new presenting team.

According to the Press Association, the programme attracted an average audience of 4.8 million viewers, with a peak of five million on BBC One.

The BBC said Strictly was the most-watched programme of the night.

But viewers were also quick to notice some early teething problems during the live broadcast.

Online discussion included complaints about moments when the presenters appeared uncertain about when they were on camera, as well as criticism of sound levels during parts of the programme. These reactions came from viewers discussing the broadcast on social media and online forums, rather than from an official BBC assessment.

WHY DID TESS AND CLAUDIA LEAVE?

The changes represent one of the biggest presenting shake-ups in Strictly’s recent history.

Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman both departed the programme after the 2025 series, bringing an end to a familiar partnership that had become closely associated with the show.

Their replacements were announced as Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe.

Radebe’s appointment is particularly significant because he moves from the dance floor to the presenting team after becoming one of Strictly’s best-known professional dancers.

The BBC has therefore not simply replaced two presenters with two new faces — it has introduced an entirely different three-person format.

VIEWERS ARE STILL GETTING USED TO THE CHANGE

The mixed reaction reflects a familiar problem faced by long-running television programmes: changing a successful formula can immediately divide an established audience.

For some Strictly viewers, Daly and Winkleman’s absence is difficult to ignore.

For others, the new presenters bring a different energy and offer the programme an opportunity to evolve.

The launch reaction therefore does not point in just one direction.

Some fans want the old partnership back.

Others are already embracing the new team.

And many appear to be taking a wait-and-see approach.

STRICTLY IS MOVING INTO A NEW ERA

The BBC has now entered its first full Strictly series without Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.

Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe have inherited a programme with a huge established audience and decades of history behind it.

Whether viewers eventually become as comfortable with the new trio as they were with Tess and Claudia remains something that will unfold over the course of the series.

For now, however, one thing is clear:

Strictly has changed — and the audience has noticed.

The new hosts are officially in place, but the debate over whether the new era feels like the Strictly viewers know and love is only just beginning.