Johannes Radebe, one of the three new presenters of Strictly Come Dancing, can barely contain his glee. Asked where they were when they heard they’d got the job, Radebe is quick to wind up his co-hosts. But go on, tell the Guardian where you two were.” “We all got the same message, asking us to jump on a Zoom,” says Emma Willis.
They’d just text my agent or something.’” Radebe prompts him: “So where did you take the Zoom call, Joshy?” “In a graveyard in Birmingham,” confesses Widdicombe. There’s nowhere quieter than a cemetery. Just to be clear, I sat against a tree, not on a grave.” Willis’s whereabouts were equally awkward.
The BBC said: ‘Is there anywhere private you can go?’ I said: ‘Well, either out on the street or in the toilet.’ And they were like, ‘Probably the toilet.’ So I was sat on the loo with wet hair when I got the news. Not using it, I hasten to add. Seat down.” A Birmingham graveyard and a salon toilet.
Who says showbiz is all glitz, glamour and glitterballs? When long-serving duo Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman hung up their ballroom shoes last Christmas, it sparked frenzied conjecture about who would be next to helm the BBC blockbuster. You would’ve got long odds on the combo of reality TV stalwart Willis, standup comic Widdicombe and South Africa-born professional dancer Radebe.
It went on forever.” “We all had separate meetings, then a week of chemistry tests,” says Widdicombe. You just had to get in a car, then be smuggled in to avoid any lurking paparazzi.” The BBC even concocted a fake show to throw people off the scent. Although I could imagine Emma being good.
With Tom Allen, maybe.” Willis laughs: “You wouldn’t say that if you saw the state of my garden.” Auditions were set up as a rough approximation of Elstree Studios. On my day, it was Anton, Motsi and a couple of stand-ins.” “Shout-out to producer Joe” says Widdicombe. It didn’t come to fruition but we kept in touch.
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