Motsi Mabuse made a very cheeky remark to new presenter Josh Widdicombe during the first Strictly Come Dancing live show on Saturday night – as he was branded a ‘spare part’ by viewers.Things got off to a shaky start with new presenting trio Josh, Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe taking over from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman this year.Comedian Josh, 43, was presenting from the dance floor with Emma, 50, as Tess did previously, while Johannes interviewed the stars from the auditorium like Claudia.However, the decision didn’t go down well with viewers, who remarked that Josh looked like a ‘spare part’ next to seasoned professional Emma, before noticing that he missed his cue twice during the show.Amid his presenting Josh was also on the receiving end of a sassy comment from judge Motsi, 45, as Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey, 48, and her pro partner Julian Caillon were getting their feedback.After Craig Revel Horwood gave his rather cutting feedback, Motsi turned to him to say that she actually agreed with what he was saying for once, which led to Craig quipping: ‘Great – we can move on to Shirley [Ballas] then!’Motsi burst out laughing before then replying: ‘Well I have to do my job too!’Josh then jokingly shouted: ‘Shirley!’ as if to skip over Motsi’s feedback like Craig had suggested. Motsi Mabuse made a very cheeky remark to new presenter Josh Widdicombe during the first Strictly Come Dancing live show on Saturday night – as he was branded a ‘spare part’ by fans Things got off to a shaky start with new presenting duo Josh, Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe taking over from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman this yearMotsi then cheekily remarked to Josh: ‘Well are we going to be friends or enemies, you choose now!’ as the audience and Josh laughed it off.Reacting to the moment on X, one viewer said: ‘Josh feared for his P45 in Week 1. Motsi ate him up.’ Emma, Josh and Johannes have received mixed reactions since they took over from Tess and Claudia, who departed the BBC show at the end of the 2025 series. No doubt with a lot on her mind, Emma joked she was feeling ‘nervous’ about the live aspect of the show before introducing the judges and contestants to the stage.And after it was revealed Josh and Emma would present together on the dance floor Josh was branded a ‘spare part’ by some. He did, however, earn some praise for making a ‘change partners’ joke, in a playful throwback to the new musical chairs-style format used to announce the pairs in the launch show. As Josh stood on the dancefloor looking bemused Emma, Johannes and judge Craig appeared alongside him, while Josh wailed ‘change partners’, leaving viewers in hysterics. Many reacted to the new trio on X as they penned: ‘I’m not going to be one of the people hating on Josh. For me the problem is that three hosts just aren’t needed. He’s just standing there awkwardly next to Emma without much to do. Josh should’ve been up where Johannes is and Johannes should be dancing imo.’,’ngl, i’m not a fan of this hosts setup. i’d switch jojo and josh around, why book a comedian and not put him causing chaos and fun in the clauditorium (or whatever we call it these days) #Strictly.’, Amid his presenting Josh was also on the receiving end of a sassy comment from judge Motsi, 45, as Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey, 48, and her pro partner Julian got their feedback Reacting to the moment on X, one viewer said: ‘Josh feared for his P45 in Week 1. Motsi ate him up’ Many reacted to the new trio on X as they penned: ‘I’m not going to be one of the people hating on Josh. For me the problem is that three hosts just aren’t needed…”Ok. I still don’t feel it. It might have fared better if it was just Josh upstairs and Emma on her own. I feel that dynamic would’ve had more flow. What’s everyone else thinking??.’,’Everyone is being quite hard on Josh but he’s really not the problem. He should be up in the Clauditorium to crack jokes with the contestants. Emma is fantastic and such a natural so she should be on her own on the main floor. Three hosts are too much.’No one will be leaving the show this week, with the scores from week one combined with next week’s before the first elimination next Sunday. Up first to perform was Big Brother presenter Will Best, 41, who performed the Samba to Rock DJ by Robbie Williams with his partner Dianne Buswell. While there was rapturous applause from the audience, Craig Revel Horwood was quick to point out Will’s ‘sloppy’ arms, and awarded him four points, the same as Shirley Ballas. Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke awarded Will scores of five, giving him a total score of 18. Then it was time for British skeleton racer Tabby Stoecker, 25, to jive to Animal by KATSEYE with new pro Mark Karmalita. She particularly impressed Anton, who said it was like seeing last year’s winner Karen Carney back on the dancefloor. He awarded her a score of seven. In turn, Motsi gave six, and Shirley five for a very respectable first week score of 22. Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey, 48, was paired with Julian Caillon and they took on the Quickstep to C’est Magnifique by Kay Starr. After a few mistakes in her routine, Dame Storey was awarded a three by Craig and fours by the remaining judges, giving her a final score of 15. Emmerdale’s Lawrence Robb, 34, and Jowita Przysta? performed the Paso Doble to Aperture by Harry Styles, earning him a four from Craig, fives from Motsi and Shirley and a six from Anton, totalling 20. Former footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips, 44, stepped up to perform the Cha Cha to Lil Boo Thang by Paul Russell, with his partner Alexis Warr. He failed to impress, earning a two from Craig, fours from Motsi and Shirley and five from Anton for 15 overall. House Of The Dragon actress and West End star Bethany Antonia, 28, performed a Quickstep to Stop This Flame by Celeste. She was paired with Nancy Xu, having requested a female dance partner after Nicola Adams and Katya Jones’s coupling in 2020 helped with her coming out journey.The move paid off, with the pair’s dance branded the best of the night so far and earning them a score of 26 – consisting of sixes from Craig and Shirley and sevens from Anton and Motsi. However, they didn’t stay top of the leaderboard for long.EastEnders actress Lacey Turner, 38, performed a Cha Cha to How Will I Know by Whitney Houston alongside fan favourite Vito Coppola, earning a standing ovation from Shirley. The routine earned them 27 – with sevens from Craig, Shirley and Anton and six from Motsi. Comedian Josh, 43, was presenting from the dance floor with Emma, 50, as Tess did previously, while Johannes interviewed the stars from the auditorium like Claudia During Strictly’s first live show YouTuber John Nellis surprisingly topped the leaderboard as viewers finally warmed to the ‘worst-ever’ lineup STRICLY COME DANCING LEADERBOARD: WEEK ONE Here’s how the leaderboard currently stands…31 – John Nellis and Katya Jones – Foxtrot29 – Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdington – Samba27 – Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola – Cha Cha26 – Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu – Quickstep24 – Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley – Cha Cha 22 – Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin – Samba 22 – Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita – Jive 21 – Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu – Tango 20 – Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby – Quickstep 20 – Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przysta? – Pasa Doble 18 – Will Best and Dianne Buswell – Samba 16 – Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden – Tango 15 – Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec – Cha Cha15 – Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr – Cha Cha15 – Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon – Quickstep <!- – ad: https://mads.dailymail.co.uk/v8/us/tvshowbiz/none/article/other/mpu_factbox.html?id=mpu_factbox_1 – ->
Celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton, 43, teamed up with show veteran and fan favourite Amy Dowden to Tango to No Roots by Alice Merton. They scored 16 – made up of three from Craig, four from Motsi and Shirley and five from Anton.The oldest celebrity in the new series, Gavin & Stacey star Melanie Walters, 64, took on the Cha Cha to Don’t Go Breaking My Heart by Elton John and Kiki Dee.Paired with long-time pro Aljaž Škorjanec, she scored a total of 15 – including two from Craig, fours from Motsi and Shirley and five from Anton.Love Island star Cach Mercer, 25, performed a Quickstep to I Just Might by Bruno Mars with new pro dancer Maddie Ingoldsby. The pair were criticised for adding too much freestyle to the ballroom routine but still scored a respectable 20 – three from Craig, sixes from Motsi and Anton and five from Shirley. Dog trainer Graeme Hall, 59, was a dark horse on the night as he showed off his skills doing the Cha Cha to Hound Dog (Smokey Joe’s Café version) with his partner Lauren Oakley. Craig, Motsi, Shirley and Anton all awarded him six points for a total of 24. The stakes were high for actress Jaime Winstone, 41, who was paired with reigning champion Carlos Gu for her Tango to I Feel Love by Donna Summer. Yet she proved she could hold her own, and while there were some criticisms for not including enough ballroom moves, she still scored 21 – fives from Craig, Motsi and Shirley and six from Anton. A year later than she’d hoped, Dani Dyer, 30, finally made it onto the dancefloor, reuniting with her dance partner Nikita Kuzmin after an ankle injury forced her to withdraw before the live shows last year.The pair’s first dance was a Samba to Lush Life by Zara Larsson, and it was worth the wait, with Dani earning sixes from Craig and Anton and fives from Motsi and Shirley for a score of 22. They were cheered on by Dani’s famous father Danny – who sat proudly in the front row of the audience. Sports Youtuber John, 33, and Katya then had their dance labelled the ‘best’ of the night – earning scores of eights from Shirley, Motsi and Anton and a seven from Craig to send them rocketing to the top of the leaderboard. Australian singer and actress Delta Goodrem, 41, rounded off the show by performing the Samba to Baianá by Barbatuques with her partner Kai Widdrington.They scored 29 after eight from Motsi and sevens from Craig, Shirley and Anton.The live show allowed viewers to warm to the celebrity contestants, after the lineup was previously branded ‘the worst ever’.The celeb lineup was announced on social media this year rather than on radio and TV, but many followers had never heard of the names.John, for example, a ‘sports content creator’, doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page.But that doesn’t seem to matter to producers, who are said to have specifically selected stars who have large social media followings, rather than being known to the average Joe.In recent years, BBC bosses have started to introduce content creators, reality stars and online influencers to the lineup in a bid to attract Gen Z viewers.It’s a move that paid off, with YouTuber Joe Sugg, Made In Chelsea’s Jamie Laing and Love Island’s Tasha Ghouri for example, all proving popular with fans and reaching the final.Yet this year, that idea was put into overdrive, with an insider claiming the series has actively targeted stars with a big social presence to attract younger viewers.Stars such as Kim Kardashian’s hair stylist Chris might not be a household name, but he does boast a huge social media following with four million fans on Instagram.Sports YouTuber John has an even bigger fanbase, with 15.7 million YouTube subscribers.However, loyal fans were left scratching their heads over the lineup, with many of the comments on the Strictly social posts asking who the celebrity is, rather than expressing any excitement.Indeed, while bosses may be keen to attract Gen Z – the majority of Strictly viewers are in fact Gen X and Baby Boomers.Audience demographic data indicates that around 60 per cent of the audience is aged 55 or older, putting the average viewer age firmly in the mid-50s and above.Yet this year, it’s been suggested Strictly is following a similar, hugely successful social media strategy employed by its US counterpart Dancing With The Stars.STRICTLY COME DANCING 2026: MEET THE CONTESTANTS LACEY TURNER AGE: 38BEST 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: 41BEST KNOWN FOR?: Played Nina Tucker in Neighbours and has released eight music albumsWHY 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: 25BEST KNOWN FOR?: Won Love Island 2025 and is a TikTok influencerWHY 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: 48BEST 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: 28BEST KNOWN FOR?: Plays Lady Baela Targaryen in House of the DragonWHY 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: 59BEST KNOWN FOR?: Hosts Channel 5 series Dogs Behaving (Very) BadlyWHY 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: 25BEST KNOWN FOR?: Olympic champion skeleton racerWHY 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: 64BEST KNOWN FOR?: Playing Gwen West in BBC sitcom Gavin & StaceyWHY 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: 30BEST KNOWN FOR?: Winning Love Island and being the daughter of actor Danny DyerWHY 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: 43BEST KNOWN FOR?: Hairdresser to the stars – including Kim Kardashian and Jennifer LopezWHY 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: 41BEST KNOWN FOR?: Hosts Big Brother and previously TVWHY STRICTLY?: ‘I’ve been lucky to do lots of live telly before, but absolutely nothing like this. And I cannot wait!’JAIME WINSTONE AGE: 41BEST KNOWN FOR?: Starring in films such as Kidulthood and Tomb RaiderWHY STRICTLY?: ‘I am no stranger to a dance floor, but the ballroom is a whole new world for me.’SHAUN WRIGHT-PHILLIPS AGE: 44BEST KNOWN FOR?: Footballer who played for the likes of Chelsea and Manchester CityWHY 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: 34BEST KNOWN FOR?: Plays Mackenzie Boyd on ITV’s EmmerdaleWHY 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: 33BEST KNOWN FOR?: Face of a popular football-focused YouTube channelWHY 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!’