Strictly Come Dancing fans fear for Emma Willis after Josh Widdicombe plea ignored

| Senior TV Reporter Published October 3, 2026 7:47pm Updated October 3, 2026 7:47pm Strictly Come Dancing fans have shared their concern for Emma Willis (Picture: BBC) Strictly Come Dancing fans are unhappy with Emma Willis’ role in this week’s episode after begging for Josh Widdicombe to be moved upstairs. The BBC reality series is back for another round of dancing celebrities fighting it out for the Glitterball Trophy – but there has also been a huge shake-up. Fans are getting used to Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s hosting replacements in the shape of downstairs duo Emma, 50, and Josh, 43, and upstairs presenter, former pro Johannes Radebe, 37. However, after their first live show, everyone was saying the same thing: Josh should head up the apples and pears to chat with celebrities post-dance, and JoJo should join Emma downstairs. Some have even claimed that three is a crowd and there isn’t enough for all of them to do. Get personalised updates on Strictly Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro’s TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we’ll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. Now, Strictly is back for movies week with a whole range of beloved films being brought to life on stage in dance form. This week the theme is movies (Picture: BBC) As we saw last week, Josh and Emma are helming the dance floor ship together, speaking with the judges and the dancers as they come down from the adrenaline high. But many have pointed out that rather than listening to fan pleas for Josh to be moved upstairs, he seems to have taken on an even bigger role, leaving the Love Is Blind host behind. The Last Leg comedian seems to have taken the lead on building rapport and joking with the judges, while Emma has been coming to the fore during the transition between dances. But for many, watching Emma have nothing to say as she quietly stands beside Josh (aside from the occasional interjection) has left a bad taste in their mouth. ‘So this week, Josh Widdicombe is doing all the talking and Emma is left standing there like a tool,’ CallieScarlett wrote on X. Fans are worried Emma Willis doesn’t have enough to do with Josh taking the lead (Picture: BBC) ‘Josh really needs to not be downstairs with Emma. I feel like she’s stood there most the time whilst Josh tries to get a joke in after every section,’ SarahFreer agreed. ‘When we said Josh felt like a spare part downstairs, we didn’t mean we wanted him to do more and Emma less,’ smallstepforsam added. ‘I still don’t get why they have both Emma and Josh talking to judges when only one of them is doing the talking to the judges. Emma legit looks like a spare part stood there while Josh banters and does the talking,’ Jade shared. ‘I actually don’t think Josh is bad but I kinda don’t love the way he leads the conversation and Emma is like the sidekick,’ jkschesttattoo reflected. In fact, the requests to see Josh’s role shaken up have grown even more this week. This trio are finding their feet (Picture: Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire) After the mounting backlash towards the new hosts following last week’s episode, Emma shared a behind-the-scenes photo dump, with the cryptic caption: ‘You will get judged either way, so may as well pick the fun option’. Meanwhile, Josh reshared Strictly pro Lauren Oakley’s statement in which she declared: ‘We couldn’t be in safer hands than with these beautiful people. ‘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.’ Deals of the Day Kurt Geiger's new Notting Hill collection is a love letter to London's chaotic weather I’ve found the Hoover gadget that could make cleaning your floors so much easier I tried L'Oréal Paris's new PDRN serum and my skin looked glossier after one use This new Cricut gadget turns your favourite photos into stickers in minutes From kitchen hatches to burgundy walls – the biggest home trends for 2027 Strictly Come Dancing airs at weekends on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Arrow MORE: Emma Willis’s husband defends star as ‘perfect’ Strictly host after BBC viewer criticism Arrow MORE: Karen Carney: ‘I won Strictly – it took me 6 months to recover’ Arrow MORE: Strictly Come Dancing star Katya Jones in trouble after breaking ‘strict’ BBC rule TV Newsletter Sign up and tell us which TV shows you love to watch to get personalised updates every morning.