Strictly Come Dancing viewers have been left frustrated on Saturday as producers failed to mix up the trio presenting format following last week's criticism.
Strictly Come Dancing viewers have been left frustrated on Saturday as producers failed to mix up the trio presenting format following last week's criticism.
The new hosts – Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe – were no doubt feeling the pressure as they opened the show for week two, after the first live show's presenting format was panned by viewers – with Josh branded a 'spare part'.
However, instead of taking heed of fan comments, show bosses instead ploughed ahead with the original plan, leaving Josh and Emma presenting on the floor while Johannes was up in the 'Clauditorium'.
Taking to X, viewers called out show bosses for 'ignoring the public' as they questioned why they hadn't 'listened' to fan concerns.
They penned: 'So they ignored the public and kept Josh downstairs doing his work experience, will Jojo talk while they walk up the stairs?'
'They’ve not changed the presenting situation then'
Strictly Come Dancing viewers have been left frustrated on Saturday as producers failed to mix up the trio presenting format following last week's criticism
Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe - were no doubt feeling the pressure as the first live show's presenting format was panned by viewers - with Josh branded a 'spare part'
'Josh is downstairs. They haven't listened.'
'When we said Josh felt like a spare part downstairs, we didn’t mean we wanted him to do more and Emma less.'
'I don't understand why they're not varying the presenting. Why is Johannes in the Clauditorium again? I'd have thought they would have swapped over and had Josh Widdicombe there this week after presenting on the floor last week.'
'I really wish they had put JoJo and Josh together upstairs.'
'Really surprised they haven’t switched and tried Josh in the upstairs role after the feedback from last week.'
However, on a positive note for the new hosts, former pro Johannes was widely praised by fans for vastly improving on his presenting skills this week.
Last week, viewers noted the dancer began talking when the couples were making their way up the stairs amid the applause, meaning fans were unable to hear what was being said.
But this time, the popular star has taken note of the feedback and waited before beginning his segment – and viewers were very impressed.
Instead of taking heed of fan comments, show bosses instead ploughed ahead with the original plan, leaving Josh and Emma presenting on the floor while Johannes was up in the 'Clauditorium'
Taking to X, viewers called out show bosses for 'ignoring the public' as they questioned why they hadn't 'listened' to fan concerns
However, in a positive note for the new hosts, former pro Johannes was widely praised by fans for vastly improving on his presenting skills this week
This time, the popular star has taken note of the feedback and waited before beginning his segment - and viewers were very impressed
They shared to X: 'Nice to see they’ve not had JoJo talk over the cheers while the couple was making their way upstairs. That’s an improvement I guess. It feels like they’re listening. A little.'
'JoJo 100% waiting for the pros to get upstairs before saying ANYTHING this week'
'Thank heavens Johannes has refrained from trying to talk over the applause as the couples walk up the stairs.'
'Now that’s better! JoJo waiting until couples are up before talking. Much better than last week.'
'Def took notes from viewers comments I think, as Johannes waiting till they got up to him before speaking.'
'Nice to that JoHannes (JoJo) is much improved on #Strictly from last week. Calmer. Less nervous. Giving guests room to breath and talk. Not talking when the couples are walking up the stairs. Good job, JoJo.'
Week two of Strictly saw the celebrities take on the Movie Week theme, with the stars performing numbers from films including The Devil Wears Prada, Mary Poppins and Zootropolis.
The score from week one were added to their week two scores, giving them a combined overall total.
Australian singer Delta Goodrem and her partner Kai Widdrington topped the leaderboard this week with their combined score of 59 points.
First up was Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin, who did a Foxtrot to Beauty and the Beast from Beauty and the Beast.
Strictly week 2 leaderboard
Celebrity and dance partner
Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington
Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley
Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola
John Nellis and Katya Jones
Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu
Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita
Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby
Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin
Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu
Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr
Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał
Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon
Will Best and Dianne Buswell
Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden
Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec
This week/ last week score: Total
30 + 29: 59
31 + 24: 55
27 + 25: 55
23 + 31: 54
27 + 26: 53
28 + 22: 50
29 + 20: 49
23 + 22: 45
21 + 21: 42
25 + 15: 40
19 + 20: 39
24 + 15: 39
19 + 18: 37
17 + 16: 33
15 + 15: 30
Week two of Strictly saw the celebrities take on the Movie Week theme, with the stars performing numbers from films including The Devil Wears Prada, Baywatch and Zootropolis
Australian singer Delta Goodrem and her partner Kai Widdrington topped the leaderboard this week with their combined score of 59 points
First up was Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin, who did a Foxtrot to Beauty and the Beast from Beauty and the Beast
Dani, who was supported in the audience by footballer husband Jarrod Bowen, was awarded a score of 23 after Motsi told her the dance was 'beautiful and very elegant'
After topping the leaderboard last week, John Nellis, 33, and Katya Jones, 37, danced the first Couple’s Choice of the series to An Irish Party in Third Class from Titanic
Craig gave a low score of four but Shirley and Anton awarded seven points, giving a total score of 23 points to be added to last week's top score of 31. This gives him a combined score of 54
Delta Goodrem, 41, and Kai Widdrington, 31, danced the American Smooth to I’ll Never Love Again from A Star Is Born
Delta got scores of eight from Craig and Anton, which brought in an overall score of 30. Adding on her 29 points from last week, she has an impressive 59 points in total
While fans at home were no doubt impressed by his ab-flashing mid-routine, it wasn't enough to distract Craig from his Chris' poor footwork
The pair were awarded a relatively low 17 points, and in addition to last week's 16, the pair earned an overall combined total of 33 points
Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał performed the Viennese Waltz to Le Festin from Ratatouille. The pair were awarded 19 points, one down from last week's 20, meaning they had a combined score of 39 points
Anton remarked: 'compliment to the chef, wonderful open work, needs work in hold, arms are twisted but you are magic', but Craig wasn't happy with his ''posture and frame'
Anton praised the Love Island star for her 'lovely' heel turn, and noted that it was 'just a joy' to watch, but Craig remarked that he'd liked to have seen 'smoother transitions'.
Dani, who was supported in the audience by footballer husband Jarrod Bowen, was awarded a score of 23 after Motsi told her the dance was 'beautiful and very elegant' but she needed to work on her spinning after going off balance.
Last week, Dani scored 22 points for her Samba and so scored 45 points in total.
After topping the leaderboard last week, John Nellis, 33, and Katya Jones, 37, danced the first Couple’s Choice of the series to An Irish Party in Third Class from Titanic.
Shirley Ballas said she 'totally enjoyed the dance', while Anton Du Beke told John not to be so hesitant with lifting Katya.
Craig gave a low score of four but Shirley and Anton awarded seven points, giving a total score of 23 points to be added to last week's top score of 31. This gives him a combined score of 54.
Delta Goodrem, 41, and Kai Widdrington, 31, danced the American Smooth to I’ll Never Love Again from A Star Is Born.
Craig told Delta: 'There was quite a bump and a little bit of gapping but darling you have the length of bone for this dance. I thought your arms were absolutely beautiful.'
Delta got scores of eight from Craig and Anton, which brought in an overall score of 30.
Adding on her 29 points from last week, she has an impressive 59 points in total.
Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden channelled their inner lifeguards as they did the Cha Cha to I’m Always Here from Baywatch.
While fans at home were no doubt impressed by his ab-flashing mid-routine, it wasn't enough to distract Craig from his Chris's poor footwork.
The pair were awarded a relatively low 17 points, and in addition to last week's 16, the pair earned an overall combined total of 33 points.
Taking to the floor next, Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon danced the Charleston to Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious from Mary Poppins
The pair scored 24 points, a huge improvement from last week's 15, meaning they scored an overall 39 points
Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley got serious as they danced the Waltz to The Godfather Waltz from The Godfather
Their dark and moody performance went down well with the judges, with Craig sending fans wild as he declared: 'I absolutely loved it!'. Their 31 points meant their overall score was 55
Will Best and Dianne Buswell did the Foxtrot to Old Time Rock & Roll from Risky Business
Anton remarked he loved 'half of it', while Shirley pointed out Will's 'flat feet'. The duo scored 19 points, up from last week's 18 points, meaning their combined score was 37 points
Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu's movie was Pretty Woman and they did the Cha Cha to Oh, Pretty Woman
Anton told how he was going to give a huge score but she had made some mistakes, with Craig too noting it was 'messy at times'. With another 21 points, the pair bagged 42 points in total
Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec performed the Waltz to Edelweiss from The Sound Of Music, with the romantic dance dedicated to Melanie's mother
The pair scored a lowly 15 points and having not improved on last week's same score, their total overall was 30 points
Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby channelled their inner Danny and Sandy as they danced the Samba to We Go Together from Grease
Cach's snake hips and ultra cool moves left the whole studio in raptures as they gave the pair a standing ovation. Their 29 points, added to week one's 20, bagged them 49 points overall
Up next, Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał performed the Viennese Waltz to Le Festin from Ratatouille.
Anton remarked: 'compliment to the chef, wonderful open work, needs work in hold, arms are twisted but you are magic,' however, Craig noted that Lawrence's 'posture and frame need work'.
The pair were awarded 19 points, one down from last week's 20, meaning they had a combined score of 39 points.
Taking to the floor next, Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon danced the Charleston to Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious from Mary Poppins.
A majority of the judges were impressed, with Motsi stating it was the 'biggest improvement of the night, you opened up, neat swivel, got better as it went on'.
While Craig put a dampener on things, adding: 'too tame and careful, lacked wild abandon but parts were gaw-jus.'
The pair scored 24 points, a huge improvement from last week's 15, meaning they scored an overall 39 points.
Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley got serious as they danced the Waltz to The Godfather Waltz from The Godfather.
Their dark and moody performance certainly went down well with the judges, with Craig sending fans wild as he declared: 'I absolutely loved it!'
Motsi called it 'mesmerising', while Shirley said the dance 'technically tested him but executed beautifully'.
The pair's efforts garnered them a very impressive 31 points and when combined with last week's 24 points, they scored an overall 55 points.
Will Best and Dianne Buswell did the Foxtrot to Old Time Rock & Roll from Risky Business.
Anton remarked he loved 'half of it', noting that there was 'great open work but all the energy dropped out of it in hold and went wrong in the end'. However, Shirley pointed out that Will's lack of trousers meant she could see his 'flat feet'.
The duo scored 19 points, up from last week's 18 points, meaning their combined score was 37 points.
Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita did the American Smooth to Rewrite The Stars from The Greatest Showman
Their efforts scored them 29 points, six more than last week's 23, meaning they scored an overall 52 points
Up next, Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu transformed into Elphaba and Glinda as they performed a Paso Doble to No Good Deed from Wicked: For Good
Craig moaned that it 'lacked Spanish line but it had drama, passion and I loved it' while Shirley thought the dance could've been better
With this week's score of 27 added to last week's 26 points, the duo scored a combined 53 points
Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola did the Quickstep to I Knew It, I Knew You from Toy Story 5
Anton noted that the EastEnders star's performance was 'accomplished clean and polished', with Motsi loving the 'free and fun' dance. They scored 28 points, meaning they had 55 overall
Concluding the week two performances, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr hit the dancefloor with a Salsa to You Should Be Dancing from Saturday Night Fever
The pair gave it everything and the crowd loved it, with Shirley giving them a standing ovation. Craig didn't agree as he hailed Shaun as 'no John Travolta'
Shirley decided to get out of her seat and give Shaun a hug, praising his 'great' pot-stirrer move. After his 15 points last week, Shaun got 25 this week, earning him an overall 40 points
Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu's movie was Pretty Woman and they did the Cha Cha to Oh, Pretty Woman.
Motsi gave mixed feedback, commenting: 'sass, style and courage, your eyes light up when you dance, you have potential but too many mistakes'.
Anton told how he was going to give a huge score but she had made some mistakes, with Craig too noting it was 'messy at times'. With another 21 points, the pair bagged 42 points in total.
Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec performed the Waltz to Edelweiss from The Sound Of Music, with the romantic dance dedicated to Melanie's mother.
While the performance was emotional, it was full of mistakes, with Craig saying: 'grace and poise but hesitant with lots of whoopsies, stride out for confidence, otherwise elegance personified,' with Craig noting: 'it all went wrong.'
The pair scored a lowly 15 points and having not improved on last week's same score, their total overall was 30 points.
Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby channelled their inner Danny and Sandy as they danced the Samba to We Go Together from Grease.
And the Love Island star's snake hips and ultra cool moves left the whole studio in raptures as they gave the pair a standing ovation, with the judges responding positively too.
Craig gushed: 'You’ve completely won me over, you created your own samba style - that was amazing!' while Anton quipped: 'I’ll have that all day long!'
The pair's performance earned them 29 points, added to week one's 20 points, they bagged an overall score of 49 points.
Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita did the American Smooth to Rewrite The Stars from The Greatest Showman.
The performance received mixed feedback from the judges, with Motsi summarising: 'another big improvement, don’t be so humble, you are brilliant'.
Their efforts scored them 29 points, six more than last week's 23, meaning they scored an overall 52 points.
Up next, Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu transformed into Elphaba and Glinda as they performed a Paso Doble to No Good Deed from Wicked: For Good.
Craig moaned that it 'lacked Spanish line but it had drama, passion and I loved it' while Shirley thought the dance could've been better as it 'lacked shaping and twist turns'. Anton meanwhile loved the 'frockography'.
With this week's score of 27 added to last week's 26 points, the duo scored a combined 53 points.
Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola did the Quickstep to I Knew It, I Knew You from Toy Story 5.
Anton noted that the EastEnders star's performance was 'accomplished clean and polished', with Motsi loving the 'free and fun' dance but warned that Lacey's top half became 'loose'.
The Quickstep garnered 28 points, one up from week one's 27, meaning Lacey and Vito finished up with 55 points.
Concluding the week two performances, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr hit the dancefloor with a Salsa to You Should Be Dancing from Saturday Night Fever.
The pair gave it everything and the crowd loved it, with Shirley giving them a standing ovation. Craig didn't agree as he hailed Shaun as 'no John Travolta', but Motsi loved that he made 'no timing mistakes, no missteps' and said that it was a 'great improvement'.
Meanwhile, Shirley decided to get out of her seat and give Shaun a hug, praising his 'great' pot-stirrer move as she said his 'improvement off the charts!'
After his 15 points last week, Shaun improved by an incredible ten points with 25 this week, earning him an overall 40 points.
It comes after the first live show last week brought in fewer viewers than the pre-recorded launch episode for the first time in seven years.
Viewers complained about the new presenters missing cues and fluffing lines and asked the big question – why did the BBC hire three to do a two-man job?
During the launch, the three rotated positions in the Elstree studio, seemingly trying Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman's jobs for size. But with three vying for two roles, viewers soon singled out the 'spare part', homing in on Josh.
For the first live show Emma, the most experienced presenter of the three, took over Tess's position down on the dancefloor, looking out for the nervous contestants during the judges' critique.
Johannes meanwhile was up in the 'Clauditorium', debriefing with his fellow pros and their partners.
That left Josh, who was placed by Emma's side adding the punchlines to her commentary, but the decision to split Tess's role didn't go down well with viewers who remarked that the comedian looked like a 'spare part' next to seasoned professional Emma.
Josh's inexperience, and nerves, were evident when he awkwardly missed his cue during a link.
Critics and viewers have argued though that 'Josh is really not the problem', criticising BBC bosses for hiring three hosts and misassigning their roles.
Josh, well versed in comedy live telly thanks to his 14 years on Channel 4's The Last Leg, should have been given Claudia's role, argued many fans, pointing out that his gag-filled commentary works best as a soloist.
The BBC failed to pull in as many viewers as they perhaps would have wanted as 4.8 million tuned in on Saturday – down substantially on last year's 6.2 million for the first live show.
There will however of course be some watching in the coming days on catch up which will boost that number.
The show also faced some stiff competition as England were playing Spain in the UEFA Nations League at Wembley. The match was broadcast on ITV1 and brought in three million live viewers.
It is the first time since 2019 that the first live show has rated lower than the pre-recorded launch show.
Later in the week, Emma responded to Strictly criticism with a cryptic post.
Taking to Instagram, Emma shared a series of behind-the-scenes snaps from the show as she brushed off any critique with an inspiring quote about breaking free from judgment.
It read: 'You'll get judged either way, so may as well pick the fun option.'
LACEY TURNER
AGE: 38
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Playing Stacey Slater on BBC's EastEnders
WHY STRICTLY?: 'I'm so excited and terrified at the same time but I've had so many friends do Strictly and I thought it was about time that I plunked up the courage and made my way onto that dance floor.'
DELTA GOODREM
AGE: 41
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Played Nina Tucker in Neighbours and has released eight music albums
WHY STRICTLY?: '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!'
CACH MERCER
AGE: 25
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Won Love Island 2025 and is a TikTok influencer
WHY STRICTLY?: 'I have grown up watching the show with my family and am so excited to now be part of the cast. Dancing is a huge passion of mine and I can’t wait to learn Ballroom and do the Foxtrot for the first time!'
DAME SARAH STOREY
AGE: 48
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Britain's most successful Paralympian
WHY STRICTLY?: 'Embarking on a new challenge so soon after stepping down as an athlete is hugely exciting.'
BETHANY ANTONIA
AGE: 28
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Plays Lady Baela Targaryen in House of the Dragon
WHY STRICTLY?: 'I have grown up watching Strictly, and I am so excited to take the challenge on and (hopefully!) learn a new skill.'
GRAEME 'THE DOGFATHER' HALL
AGE: 59
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Hosts Channel 5 series Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly
WHY STRICTLY?: 'I have watched the show for years, so to be a part of it feels like a very exciting challenge, albeit more than a bit nerve-wracking!'
TABBY STOECKER
AGE: 25
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Olympic champion skeleton racer
WHY STRICTLY?: 'I’ve had the wildest year of my life so far, so to be rounding it off with a childhood dream of dancing in the Strictly ballroom is surreal and I can’t wait to get stuck in!'
MELANIE WALTERS
AGE: 64
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Playing Gwen West in BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey
WHY STRICTLY?: 'Performing in Pantomime for the last 15 years, my Strictly ‘fix’ has always been watching in a dressing room rather than my front room.'
DANI DYER
AGE: 30
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Winning Love Island and being the daughter of actor Danny Dyer
WHY STRICTLY?: 'I am so excited to be back in the ballroom this September! I just cannot wait to get my dancing shoes back on and hopefully this time around I can actually make it to week one!'
CHRIS APPLETON
AGE: 43
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Hairdresser to the stars - including Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez
WHY STRICTLY?: 'I’m thrilled to be joining Strictly and coming home to the UK for this incredible experience. I’ve always believed that the best things happen when you take a chance and try something new.'
WILL BEST
AGE: 41
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Hosts Big Brother and previously TV
WHY STRICTLY?: 'I’ve been lucky to do lots of live telly before, but absolutely nothing like this. And I cannot wait!'
JAIME WINSTONE
AGE: 41
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Starring in films such as Kidulthood and Tomb Raider
WHY STRICTLY?: 'I am no stranger to a dance floor, but the ballroom is a whole new world for me.'
SHAUN WRIGHT-PHILLIPS
AGE: 44
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Footballer who played for the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City
WHY STRICTLY?: 'Strictly is definitely outside my comfort zone, but I’m super excited to get started and really looking forward to the challenge!'
LAWRENCE ROBB
AGE: 34
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Plays Mackenzie Boyd on ITV's Emmerdale
WHY STRICTLY?: 'I can't quite believe that I am going to be getting my dancing shoes on this September on one of my favourite shows of all time!'
JOHN NELLIS
AGE: 33
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Face of a popular football-focused YouTube channel
WHY STRICTLY?: 'I can't wait to meet everyone, learn a new skill and, hopefully, be much better at family parties by the end of it!'