Strictly

Strictly Come Dancing’s new hosts were summoned to a shock zoom call at short notice which meant Emma Willis was sat on the loo when she was told she was told she had a new job.

Comedian Josh Widdecombe was in grave danger of giving away the news he was a new Strictly Come Dancing host whilst it was top secret – after finding out the news whilst walking around a cemetery.

Stand up star Josh, 43, revealed the bizarre moment as he and co-hosts Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe were quizzed in a new podcast. And he wasn’t the only one being given the life changing news in a weird place, with Emma flushed with the success of a new job whilst in the toilet at her hairdressers.

The trio said after their final audition they had to wait around two weeks before they were summoned to a zoom call at short notice by BBC execs.

Emma said: “We were all in very random places. But we also didn’t know the call was happening did we? It was a very weird situation.

“The reason it kept getting put back was because I was at the hairdressers.

“I was like this could be an either way Zoom so I’m not going to get excited. And I said ‘I can’ [go on a call] but literally I’m just I’m having my hair washed. And she said okay okay.

“And then they took ages washing my hair. And they’re like ‘do you want a massage?’ I’m like ‘no no just crack on’.

“She[show boss] said can you go somewhere private? And I said the only place I can go is outside in the street or in the loo.

“So I was sat on a toilet at the hairdressers.”

Johannes was at his home when he was on the same call waiting to head out to do a stage show, and then there was also Josh who was desperately trying to find a quiet spot.

Josh explained: “I was in Birmingham because I was on tour. So I was sat in a graveyard in Birmingham because I wanted somewhere quiet.”

Looking back on the moment he knew he had the job, he added: “I didn’t like stand up and go ‘yes’ because obviously it wasn’t public then either.

“Not that anyone would have gone ‘wait a minute, he got the Strictly gig – that guy punching the air by the grave’.”

Speaking on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, the trio also explained the role of Johannes on the show, and denied previous reports he would act as a ‘roving reporter’ with the other two as main hosts.

The trio, who start fronting the show later this month, are replacing Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman who previously hosted the BBC hit series together for 11 years.

Emma said: “There’s no like for like, so no one’s kind of replacing anybody and at the minute it’s all very kind of open. We’re having lots of production days where we go in and we play around and we’re kind of feeling each other out – well, they’re feeling us out really.”

Josh Widdicombe: “It’s going to be like total football. We’re going to be moving everywhere.”

And Emma added: “There’s definitely no backstage roving reporter, which is what has been reported quite a bit. That’s not a thing.”

* The full interview is on The Rest Is Entertainment Podcast out today.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

Strictly stars Katya Jones, 37, and ex-husband Neil, 44, were both injured and forced to pull out of rehearsals

Rehearsals for the new Strictly series didn’t get off to the best start last week after two fan favourites were unable to take part.

Katya Jones, 37, and ex-husband Neil, 44, were both injured and forced to pull out of rehearsals, it has been reported.

It came at the worst time for the former couple, as it also meant that they missed out on a number of pre-recorded group routines.

While they both returned to dancing on Friday, the damage could have already been done as it may jeopardise their chances of being paired with a celebrity. This will be particularly devastating for Neil, who didn’t get a partner last year.

A source told The Sun: “There was a real crisis on set when both Neil and Katya were injured at the same time and there were concerns they wouldn’t be able to recover in time for the series start in two weeks.”

They added that Katya and Neil were “gutted” to miss out on the group dances as it “guarantees screen time if they don’t get a partner, which Neil often doesn’t”.

The Mirror has reached out to the BBC for comment.

It comes after Strictly released its very first trailer on Saturday introducing the new hosts with as much glitz and glamour as expected.

High-octane from the off, fans were treated to energetic performances by the pro dancers down the backstage of Elstree as glitter was thrown in the air and chandeliers rolled into shot. The infamous Glitterball also made an appearance, with judge Craig Revel Horwood attempting to smash it with a sledge hammer while co-stars Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke showed off their dance skills.

The trailer concluded by introducing its brand news hosts Johannes Radebe, Emma Willis and Josh Widdicombe, who held hands as they made their way down the brightly lit stairs. The trio are taking over from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman after they quit the BBC show last year.

As part of a huge revamp, bosses also axed long-standing professionals, Karen Hauer, Gorka Márquez, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk, and Michelle Tsiakkas in favour of new talent. While former Strictly contestant Ellie Taylor replaces Janette Manrara and Fleur East.

Sharing the trailer online, Strictly declared: “Let’s get this party started!”

Fans were ecstatic, flocking to the comments to share their thoughts, with one writing: “So, so excited for this to start, I literally look forward to strictly every year..” While another commented: “YES YES YES WE ARE SO BACK.”

The BBC competition kicks off with a pre-recorded show on September 19 with the star-studded line-up – including EastEnders’ Lacey Turner, Love Island winner Dani Dyer and singer Delta Goodrem – learning who they will be partnered up with.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Dianne Buswell has addressed the notion that she could have been axed from Strictly Come Dancing when she was pregnant as bosses decided to add fresh talent to the show

Dianne Buswell has insisted she never worried about getting the axe from Strictly Come Dancing while she was pregnant. The TV star, 37, has served as a professional on the BBC Saturday night favourite for almost a decade and in March, she and her partner Joe Sugg became parents to son Bowden.

Around the same time, as part of a huge revamp, bosses also axed long-standing professionals Karen Hauer, Gorka Márquez, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk, and Michelle Tsiakkas in favour of new talent.

But now Dianne has insisted that whilst there is always a slight worry that she won’t be asked back to the programme, she wasn’t particularly concerned that she would be axed amid the “bloodbath” because of how much support she had received from the BBC in the first place.

She said: “We’re so lucky to be there every single year and you’re never guaranteed that you’ll be back. Of course, you always hope, but they’re putting on a show, and sometimes they will have to change it up.

Speaking to The Sun, she added: ““You always think: ‘Am I going to be back or not?’ But because of how supportive they were to me when I was pregnant and talking about me coming back, I didn’t feel like they would do that [axe her]. They were very aware that being a working mum while still dancing was possible and they wanted to accommodate that.”

This year’s Strictly Come Dancing will have a different feel entirely, with brand news hosts Johannes Radebe, Emma Willis and Josh Widdicombe having taken the reins from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.

Dianne claimed that the decision of new presenters was “quite genius” and opined that if bosses had simply chosen two women, it would only lead to comparisons of Tess and Claudia. When it comes to the new trio Dianne said she is particularly excited to talk all about babies with Emma Willis, who previously trained as a maternity care assistant and has also fronted Emma Willis: Delivering Babies.

The star competed on Strictly Come Dancing last year alongside Neighbours legend Stefan Dennis, who eventually had to withdraw from the show over an injury, but prior to that Dianne was subject to criticism for performing whilst pregnant.

On her Instagram Stories, she shared a comment from a viewer that read: “I get so uncomfortable watching Dianne run down the stairs in heels, cartwheel and do tricks while pregnant.

“Your centre of gravity is off while you’re pregnant, just takes one slip to fall on the precious bump. She is a true professional and fabulous dancer but I think it might have been wise to sit this season out. She is 36 so classed as advanced maternal age mother regardless of how fit she is, I think BBC made a mistake here,

They continued by noting that Amy Dowden also took part in the BBC competition last year whilst facing health issues, adding: “It just doesn’t make sense. Like it didn’t make sense to give Amy a celebrity partner last year and look what happened there.” Fed up, Dianne shared her own thoughts as she reposted the comment, writing: “I have honestly had enough of comments like these.”

Like this s tory? F or more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Strictly Come Dancing is set to go through another huge shake up before it even begins, as 15 new celebs head to the dancefloor to compete for the Glitterball trophy

Strictly Come Dancing is about to undergo a huge shake-up as it returns to previously ditched format. The show, which has already faced several changes this year, is set to scrap the introductory video tapes it that it had been using to reveal the whom had been coupled with whom.

In recent years, the launch show had seen the Strictly celebs head to locations across the country to meet the pro dancer they would be partnered with for the rest of the competition. But the show has now decided to return to its pre-Covid format in which the partnerships would be announced live in the studio, with the dancers and celebs finding out at the same time as the audience.

The news was revealed on Radio Northampton when Graeme Hall, one of this year’s contestants, said: “This year, they’re doing it slightly differently. We don’t find out until the launch show. You have no say in it, the pros have no say in it.”

The launch show is set to air on 19 September. It is pre-recorded, so those watching at home will be finding out slightly later than the contestants, and it will air the week before the live shows begin.

This year’s contestants were announced over several weeks, starting in June. Over the summer, the names were slowly released to the public. The crop of celebs taking part this year are: Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem, Chris Appleton, Cach Mercer, Jaime Winstone, Will Best, Sean Wright-Phillips, Bethany Antonia, Graeme Hall, Lawrence Robb, John Nellis, Tabby Stoecker, Dame Sarah Storey and Melanie Walters.

Fans have previously expressed disappointment in the line-up, with some saying they were unimpressed with the calibre of celebrity taking part. Most critics took complaint with Kim Kardashian’s hairdresser Chris Appleton taking part, and dog trainer Graeme Hall, as they felt they were not famous enough.

Following Graeme’s announcement on 5 August, many asked who he was and one said the BBC were “scraping the bottom of the barrel”.

Another slammed the line-up as “boring”, saying: “Genuinely who even are half the people doing strictly this year, apart from like three people this is the most boring lineup ever”

A third said: “This has got to be one of weakest line ups”. Similar was said at the time of Chris Appleton’s announcement a fan joked: “Looking forward to Katie Price ’s cleaner joining the line up”.

Many pros from previous years are returning, but the show has also welcomed several new pro dancers, as Strictly said goodbye to Gorka Marquez, Karen Hauer, Michelle Tsiakkas, Luba Mushtuk and Nadiya Bychkova earlier this year. Former pro Johannes Radebe also won’t compete this year, as he is one of the new hosts.

In the middle of last year’s season, long time hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly announced they were quitting the show. As such, new hosts had to be found for this year, and the BBC decided to appoint three people to the role – Johannes, comedian Josh Widdicombe and presenter Emma Willis.

The change didn’t stop there, as former pro dancer turned It Takes Two host Janette Manrara and her co-presenter Fleur East have left the spin off show. They were replaced by Ellie Taylor, who has taken part in Strictly as a contestant.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

Motsi Mabuse had a tough time with her health in 2025 but is feeling better and move positive about life and her body

Motsi Mabuse says she has begun a health routine in the run up to Strictly Come Dancing returning. The judge on the hit BBC show, 45, says she does her best to look good for the cameras, without putting too much pressure on herself.

She said: “I’ll eat healthily, I’ll swim – and it’s not about dieting, it’s about giving back to my body. I expect so much from my body. I expect it to perform, to be a mum, to work, to travel, to dance. When I step on to the beach, I’ll be like, ‘Body, now it’s your turn.’”

She added: “I have to remind myself to have love for my body. If I see somebody with a six-pack, I’ll channel my mind: ‘You’re healthy, you’re doing the best you can for your body.’”

Motsi also opened up about the impact of perimenopause after she started experiencing symptoms last year. She says it has impacted her body and mind in the last 12 months, and she struggled to cope with the changes.

She told Women’s Health UK: “I’d go: ‘Which Motsi am I meeting today? Is it the one who’s going to make me cry? Is it the one who’s happy? Is it the one who doesn’t want to see anyone?’.

“You wake up every day discovering a new side of yourself. That’s menopause…I noticed a complete shift in my energy levels and I started having pain in my knees.

“I had moments when I thought, ‘I’m not feeling [okay] in my body, I’m not comfortable with myself’…I love dancing with my husband, I love moving – and I couldn’t do that any more. It was making me unhappy.”

Struggling Motsi had a health assessment, which showed a range of issues, including high cortisol and inflammation. She said: “We did a full-body check-up and my doctor said, ‘Mrs Mabuse, you can’t continue like this.’

“My parents and grandparents have type 2 diabetes and I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant, and my doctor said, ‘The numbers show that you’re at risk.’ He said, ‘If you want to stay healthy in the long term, we need to make some changes.’” She also urged other women to get checked out to push to get better healthcare and not feel guilty about doing so.

Motsi added: “I have a deep sense of empathy and pain for women because they’re never going to get it right. Women are shamed all their lives and I’m not here to shame anyone.

“I have very close friends who need the help of GLP-1 and I’m not going to make them feel guilty…For me, this journey was never about becoming smaller. It was about becoming stronger. That’s my message to women: live your life. Do what you need to do to get healthy. You don’t owe anyone an explanation.”

* The full interview is available in the September issue of Women’s Health UK.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

The Australian singer was the third celebrity to be named for the new series of the BBC show and has now given an update after a gruelling first day in rehearsals

Delta Goodrem says she’s already struggling with the gruelling demands of her Strictly Come Dancing schedule – after one rehearsal.

The Australian singer and actress was confirmed for the twenty-sixth series of the long running BBC show in June, shortly after representing her country in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song Eclipse.

But Delta, 41, admits she is feeling the strain after participating in her first rehearsal at a London dance studio on Friday. Reflecting on her progress with new Strictly host Emma Willis, she said: “I can’t move today… I had my very first day yesterday. Obviously, there was a lot of dancing, so it was a baptism of fire, a lot of shock for the body, so I’m slow moving today.”

Despite her pedigree as a seasoned performer, Delta insists she doesn’t have an advantage over her Strictly rivals because her music doesn’t lend itself to dance.

“I love dancing, but I don’t get to dance,” she explained during an appearance on BBC Radio 2. “It’s never been my role. My music doesn’t sit in the space where I do a lot of choreography.

“I don’t do a lot of dancing, and I don’t think people associate me with dance… I’ve never done ballroom. I didn’t even know there was a difference between Latin and ballroom until yesterday.”

Delta was the third celebrity to be confirmed for the new series following the announcements of former Love Island winner Dani Dyer and EastEnders star Lacey Turner.

The singer hinted at an appearance on the show in June, telling Good Morning Britain: ‘Every time I’ve ever been in the UK and I get immersed into it. I love music with all my heart but as I said before Eurovision, I’m always open.’

Last week, the singer admitted she was yet to be assigned a professional dance partner and was already feeling nervous about her imminent appearance on the show. “I think in a couple of weeks, so it’s still like a week or so away when we start the process,’ she told Sunday Brunch. ‘I’m excited, nervous, all those kinds of things.”

Asked if she saw herself as a potential winner, she added: “I am going to go in and give my very best that I possibly can. I have no expectations or awareness of what level of dancing.”

Strictly is back this autumn and winter for its first series since hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman quit the programme. Tess and Claudia have since been replaced by a trio of presenters – Johannes Radebe, Josh Widdecombe and Emma Willis.

Delta shot to fame when she starred as aspiring singer Nina Tucker on Neighbours and then went onto a major pop career with hits such as Innocent Eyes and Born To Try.

Along with the likes of Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Holly Valance and Natalie Imbruglia, she is part of a cohort of stars who started out on the Australian soap before going onto conquer the music industry.

After signing up for Strictly Come Dancing, she said: “I’ve been incredibly honoured to perform on many different stages throughout my career – from TV, theatre, film sets, to touring my own shows around the world.

“There is, however, one stage I’ve never stepped onto and that is the ballroom floor. I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining Strictly and can’t wait to get started.”

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

Strictly Come Dancing have announced Gavin and Stacey star Melanie Walters as the fifteenth star for this year’s series, completing the line-up

Strictly Come Dancing have announced Gavin and Stacey star Melanie Walters as the final celebrity for this year’s series.

The BBC show is back this September with 15 more celebrities taking to the dancefloor. Gavin and Stacey actress Melanie is the fifteenth and final name to be confirmed for the Latin and ballroom competition.

Speaking about joining the show, she said: “Performing in Pantomime for the last 15 years, my Strictly ‘fix’ has always been watching in a dressing room rather than my front room.

“This year I am completely thrilled and happy to swap my fairy wand for sequinned dance shoes. I just hope I don’t follow Cinderella and leave one on the Ballroom stairs. I cannot wait to take part in this absolutely iconic show, it’s so exciting. See you in September!”

Melanie completes this year’s celebrity lineup alongside Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem, Chris Appleton, Cach Mercer, Will Best, Dame Sarah Storey, Jaime Winstone, Bethany Antonia, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Graeme Hall, Lawrence Robb, Tabby Stoecker, and John Nellis in the 2026 Strictly Come Dancing line-up.

This is a breaking Showbiz news story. You’ll be more likely to see our stories when any big news breaks in future on Google by simply by clicking this link .

You can also join The Mirror’s WhatsApp Community or follow us on Google News , Flipboard , Apple News , TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads – or visit The Mirror homepage .