Strictly host Johannes Radebe previously says he 'would be wasted as a presenter'
Strictly Come Dancing's Johannes Radebe previously said he would be better used as a dancer on the show than a host.
Johannes Radebe previously said his talents are better used as a dancer on Strictly Come Dancing than as a presenter.
In January, the 38-year-old star laughed off the suggestion that he could replace either Tess Daly, 57, or 54-year-old Claudia Winkleman - who quit in December 2025 - as host of the BBC Latin and Ballroom dance show.
He told The Big Issue magazine: "I would be wasted as a presenter."
But four months later, on May 19, Strictly Come Dancing bosses announced Johannes - who joined the show as a pro in 2018 - will co-host the 2026 series alongside Emma Willis, 50, and Josh Widdicombe, 43, in September after he impressed during auditions for the job earlier this month.
Johannes said: "To be returning to Strictly Come Dancing in this new role is beyond anything I ever imagined. This show has always stood for joy, heart, and togetherness, and I feel deeply honoured to now help carry that magic forward.
"To do it alongside the formidable Emma Willis and the utterly brilliant Josh Widdicombe makes it even more special. I’m ready-sequins, nerves, and all...please bear with me. Love Jojo."
Ex-Strictly Come Dancing pro Vincent Simone, 47, "wasn’t expecting" bosses to select Johannes, and feared his transition from a pro to a presenter meant "we won’t see him as a professional dancer anymore".
But Vincent told Paddy Power Bingo that it is "brilliant" to have Johannes - who joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2018, and insisted he is "definitely not hanging up my dancing shoes as yet" - as a co-host because he "knows all the pros, and he knows the environment".
Josh's signing came as a "big surprise" to Vincent because he thought someone already closely connected to the programme, including "obvious decision" Rylan Clark, 37, who was involved in the chemistry tests earlier this month, would get the job, rather than the comic.
And Josh - who Vincent thinks his "quirky" energy will go down well with viewers - joked he is a “weird-looking little guy” when compared to his co-hosts Emma and Johannes.
Speaking on the latest episode of his and fellow comic, 40-year-old Rob Beckett’s Parenting Hell podcast, Josh said: “I’m a weird-looking little guy. I realised I’ve been cast with two of the most striking-looking people on television.”
The Last Leg star also feels that his diminutive height - 5'6" - will be showcased next to his Strictly co-stars when the show returns to screens in the autumn.
Josh said: "Jojo is 6’2”, Emma’s the same height as me, but she’ll be wearing heels. It’s going to be fun for the Halloween special, I may be the first person to go as Damon Albarn on Icons Night."
