Comedian Josh Widdicombe has riled some fans from the get-go with his presenting style, with many labelling him a “spare part” in comparison to co-hosts Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe, who have generally received a much warmer reception.
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who → rile → reception
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“Wooden,” “awkward,” and “not funny” are just a few of the criticisms being thrown at Widdicombe on social media, the latter likely being a particularly hard pill to swallow for the comedian to swallow.
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comedian → read → media
While humour is of course subjective, as comedians go, Widdicombe’s CV is stacked.
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CV → go → course
Beginning his career in stand-up comedy way back in 2008, he worked his way through the circuit scene, with his debut solo show, If This Show Saves One Life…, earning him a Best Newcomer nomination at the Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards in 2011.
But it was in the following year that he truly found his groove and made a name for himself in panel shows, with appearances on Mock the Week, 8 out of 10 Cats and The Last Leg, the latter of which he co-hosts.
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he → begin → which
His self-deprecating humour thrives in these often frantic and chaotic panel-style shows, where silly anecdotes and awkward moments are celebrated and often woven into part of the premise.
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anecdotes → deprecate → premise
But on Strictly, stood next to polished and professional Willis, it seems this type of humour isn’t quite meshing yet.
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type → stand → humour
I don’t think this is Widdicombe’s fault.
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this → think → ?
The two have been placed down on the dance floor, in a role which was for so long held by Tess Daly, whose poised and assured presence was calming to contestants fresh off the dance floor.
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presence → place → floor
Willis obviously mirrors Daly’s temperament, so it’s easy to see why Widdicombe’s presence doesn’t gel with viewers - it’s simply different, and for a show running as long as Strictly has, tradition is at its very core.
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tradition → mirror → core
Daly’s counterpart, Claudia Winkleman, was situated upstairs in the affectionately fan-named Clauditorium, in a position now held by Radebe, where he catches up with the dancers and their partners after receiving the judges’ scores.
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he → situate → scores
It’s clear to see that for the pros, their beloved “Jojo” who many have worked alongside for years, is well deserving of his new promotion.
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many → ’ → promotion
I wholeheartedly agree.
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I → agree → ?
Though I can’t help but wonder if he would be better suited on the dance floor with Willis, and placing Widdicombe instead in the spot long held by Winkleman.
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he → help → Winkleman
It could allow him to inject his own style of chaotic humour into the post-scoring debriefs with the contestants, away from the watching eyes of the judges below.
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him → allow → judges
Winkleman brought a high energy into the upstairs gallery which allowed the contestants to relax, and I think Widdicombe’s own distinctive style of funny could work well in the less structured environment.
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style → bring → environment
Whilst there is a somewhat structure to the episodes which combines conversations, listener interaction, and celebrity interviews, the candid chats about fatherhood often feature funny anecdotes that flow naturally, delivered alongside his equally high-energy co-host Beckett.
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that → be → host
Him playing the “funny man” to Willis’ “straight-edged” host is not a combination that he has previous experience to harken back to.
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he → play → experience
Potential switch-ups aside, we need to remember that we have entered a new era of Strictly Come Dancing, and with all the changes come inevitable teething problems.
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problems → need → changes
The show has been on air for 24 years, and aside from the inclusion of Claudia Winkleman as main co-host following the death of Sir Bruce Forsyth, not much has changed.
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much → follow → Forsyth
A new trio of hosts, five new professional dancers replacing some of our longstanding favourites, as well as format shake-ups to both the main show and It Takes Two can definitely be a lot to get your head around for long-term fans.
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It → replace → fans
And it’s okay not to love it.
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it → ’ → it
We’re only one live show in, and we’ve got 12 more to go.
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we → ’re → 12
A lot can change as both the viewers, as well as the stars and production crew, get used to this new era.
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viewers → change → era
The magic of Strictly will always be there, even if the outside looks a little different.
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outside → look → Strictly
From fans seeing promise in the new pros to a likeable new underdog in YouTuber John Nellis already rising to the top, these moments are why we keep coming back time and time again.
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we → see → top
Anyone try starting a new job with 5 million people ready to criticise your every move.
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Anyone → try → move
I think we would also miss a cue now and then.
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we → think → cue
So let’s show a little grace to our beloved show and give Widdicombe, and his co-hosts, stars and dancers, the backing they need to make this another Strictly series to remember.
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this → show → backing
The Aporia
