Richard Osman has explained why the new iteration of Strictly Come Dancing is currently not working – and how he would fix it.
On Saturday (26 September), the first live show of the series aired, showcasing the debut of new hosting trio Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe. Willis rose to the challenge with success, while Widdicombe and Radebe are yet to find their groove.
Former BBC host Osman has shared his view on the issue, stating: “I absolutely see why they’ve gone with three people – it makes a lot of sense to do that”, but acknowledged there were teething issues, including how the new hosts have been put to work.
In the episode, Willis and Widdicombe were paired by the main stage, near the judges, and Radebe led the post-performance interviews with the contestants in the segment that was fronted for years by Claudia Winkleman.
According to Osman, Radebe – a professional dancer who used to be partnered with contestants – isn’t working in this role because he has to emulate precisely what Winkleman made her own, which doesn’t play to his strengths.
“The Johannes thing is interesting because at the moment he’s doing exactly what Claudia did, which is you throw to Johannes, the producers have given him two talking points: ‘Here’s the thing from the VT, here’s what the judges said – just raise those things with the celebrity and their partner,’” Osman said on The Rest is Entertainment podcast.
“The reason it became that is because that’s the thing Claudia is very good at. ‘Give me a few bits of vanilla content’ – Claudia is very, very good at turning that into something. Now that’s not what Johannes can do – it’s not who he is. He’s a trained dancer; he brings something else. So you have to work out what it is that Johannes does instead.”
Osman said that, in its current form, it’s simply “just two bits of vanilla information”, with his podcast co-host Marina Hyde adding: “It feels very reverential – it doesn’t diffuse the tension in the way Claudia did.”
If Osman was a producer on the show, he suggested that he would put Widdicombe in the Radebe role, leaving Willis to present solo by the main stage – and have Radebe in a roving reporter position backstage, which would provide the show with “extra content”.
He said this would also fix the obstacle of having to write for Willis and Widdicombe as a double act, which he branded “impossible” as “one is a comic” and “one is not”.
Another key change Osman would make is to trim the VTs – played before a contestant performs – by 30 seconds, something he said he’s “always thought”.
However, Osman doesn’t think that Strictly is going through a crisis, declaring: “The one thing I know for a fact the producers will really understand what they have to do.”
In a review of the first live show of the year for The Independent, Isobel Lewis wrote: “As soon as Widdicombe and Willis strayed from the script – usually while they were comforting the contestants post-dance – things started to go haywire for the comic. Ultimately, I put it down to strong comedic impulses preventing him from being a good presenter.
“Whether he was talking over Willis (this happened a lot), clapping back at Shirley Ballas or trying to cover up Will Best’s nipples, Widdicombe was constantly ‘yes and’-ing. This gag-at-all-costs attitude works for comedy or even solo presenting, but in a group, it felt awkward and stilted.”
Strictly continues weekly on BBC One.
