Strictly Come Dancing has quietly made a significant change regarding Johannes Radebe, and most viewers failed to notice. The 39-year-old dancer has been announced as one of the new hosts of the show, joining Emma Willis and Josh Widdicombe to replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman later this year. However, a subtle alteration in the official professional dancer lineup earlier this month may have hinted at the transition.
Radebe's New Role
Radebe will step off the dance floor and into a front-of-house hosting role when the BBC ballroom hit returns with a fresh crop of professional dancers. Despite the exciting new gig, Radebe has made it clear that his dancing days are far from over. In a behind-the-scenes BBC clip showing the trio preparing for their announcement photo shoot, Widdicombe, 43, asked: 'Jojo, how are you feeling about not being part of that dancing team and having to interview them?'
Radebe replied: 'Listen, I'm not hanging up my dancing shoes as yet. That I'm definitely not doing. I cannot, I mean, what is my life without a cha cha cha?' Widdicombe, who was well-received during the Strictly Christmas special in 2024, joked: 'I feel the same, that's how I feel every morning.'
The Subtle Change
When the list of returning professional dancers for 2026 was released earlier this month, Radebe was notably included. He even occupied the central spot in the collage of headshots. However, since then, his headshot has been removed from the official BBC announcement on their website and replaced with the Strictly glitterball logo, even though his name remains on the list of returning pros. This change aligns with Radebe's new role as a host rather than a professional dancer. It remains unclear whether the BBC had already decided on Radebe as host when the dancer lineup was announced.
The full list of returning professional dancers for 2026 includes Dianne Buswell, Julian Caillon, Amy Dowden, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Jowita Przystał, Aljaž Škorjanec, Alexis Warr, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, and Vito Coppola. The BBC confirmed the dancer lineup and judging panel after several high-profile departures, including Michelle Tsiakkas, Luba Mushtuk, Nadiya Bychkova, Gorka Marquez, and Karen Hauer.
The broadcaster also confirmed that new professional dancers will join the lineup, with details to be announced closer to the show's return later this year. The judging panel remains unchanged, with Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke, and head judge Shirley Ballas returning for the new series.
Strictly Come Dancing returns to the BBC this autumn. The BBC has been contacted for comment on this story.
