DID Josh Widdicombe take some magical potion in the Strictly chemistry auditions that transformed him from geeky comic to dazzling showman?
If so, it had certainly worn off by opener.
Looking like the lovechild of Alan Bennett and , was a constantly .
Remarkably unfunny for a comedian, his main contribution seemed to be providing a constant background cackle like a demonic laugh echoing around a haunted house.
You have to wonder: how badly did ’s audition go if they went for Josh instead?
Did he stagger into auditions drunk with a black eye and try to snog ?
Because all I kept thinking is how , who was brilliant as the new queen of Strictly, would have been perfectly paired with Rylan.
The jury’s still out on . He’s yet to find his groove.
But it’s fair to say that, after the first show, it’s not obvious why the went for this particular trio — or why they didn’t just go for a duo.
Sheer curiosity has, it seems, done the trick with the ratings, though.
Although 5.8m is still well down on the 7.3m watching the launch show in 2023, it’s still up on 2024 and 2025.
Credit where it’s due, there was a breath of fresh air blowing across the dance floor too, thanks to five new pros.
As for the celebrity contestants, it might not look like a line-up, but they may still out to be entertaining — and who knows, one of them may yet provide Strictly with a brilliant host.
