Zoe Ball has light-heartedly poked fun at not being chosen to be a new Strictly Come Dancing presenter, quipping that she won’t need cosmetic surgery.
This week, it was finally confirmed that Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe will be the new hosts of the BBC programme.
The announcement came after months of speculation, following the shock news during last year’s series that Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly would be stepping down.
It was previously believed that Zoe, 55, was a frontrunner to take over, given her years of presenting experience, her prior experience competing on Strictly in 2005, and the fact that she fronted the spin-off show It Takes Two.
However, earlier this month, she revealed that she was ‘grieving’ after missing out on the coveted position.
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Nonetheless, in a new interview, it sounds as though she’s now somewhat relieved to no longer be in contention for it.
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Did you want Zoe Ball to host Strictly Come Dancing?
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Yes, she would have been amazing
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I’m happy with Emma, Johannes and Josh hosting
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I don’t have a strong opinion on it
‘I screen tested with Josh and he is hilarious. He is going to be so good,’ Zoe told The Sun.
‘Emma is just gorgeous and I love Johannes, so they are going to ace it. And I don’t have to have a facelift, so I’m quite happy.’
Strictly’s head judge Shirley Ballas recently shared her views on the new presenter line-up, telling Metro: ‘I think the BBC has really got this right,’ joking that Strictly has had a ‘facelift’.
When the news of Emma, Johannes and Josh hosting Strictly was announced this week, Zoe was among those celebrating the announcement in the comments underneath the Instagram video.
‘CREW. congrats Emma Jojo and Josh. You’re gonna ROCK IT 🪩🪩🪩♥️♥️♥️,’ she commented at the time.
In response, a fan called Gemma wrote: ‘You’re a class act, Zoe,’ while another called Ellie said: ‘You are such a gracious and kind person for being so supportive and encouraging. I can’t lie, I was desperately hoping you would get this 🥺 Sending lots of love.’
In the new interview, Zoe added that she’s messaged each of the new presenters individually, stressing that they’re ‘going to be brilliant’.
‘You know what? It needed fresh energy, and you can totally see why that’s happening. It’s like, move forwards, and that is great,’ she said.
Emma, who’s previously presented on TV shows including Big Brother and The Voice, said that ‘stepping into the Strictly ballroom is something I can’t quite comprehend’.
Johannes, who’s been a pro dancer on the show since 2018, said that being selected as one of the hosts ‘is beyond anything I ever imagined’.
The Last Leg comedian Josh also shared that he was ‘giddy with excitement, honoured and a little overawed to be given the chance to step into the biggest shoes in television’.
Strictly Come Dancing will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer later this year.
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