Josh Widdicombe’s BBC Strictly debut savaged by former pro dancer Brendan Cole: ‘Lamb to slaughter!’

Speaking to The Sun on behalf of Sky Vegas, Mr Cole, who spent 15 series on the programme between 2004 and 2017, said: “I feel a bit sorry for him because he’s a bit like a lamb to the slaughter.

“He looked like a little lamb at times, but not because he wasn’t good at his job.”

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Mr Cole, 50, acknowledged that Mr Widdicombe is a talented comedian and an entertaining presenter, but suggested the dynamic between the three hosts worked against him.

He pointed to Mr Radebe’s flamboyant stage presence and Ms Willis’s strong presenting style as factors that may have made the comedian appear out of place.

“On a show like Strictly, especially when Johannes Radebe is quite flamboyant and stands there all regally as only he would, and then alongside Emma Willis, the ultimate professional, she’s very strong and has quite a strong presenting style,” Mr Cole explained.

“That is probably the reason he’s getting the critique; it’s because it felt a little bit out of place.”

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Mr Widdicombe, who has hosted The Last Leg for more than a decade and is a regular fixture on panel shows, faced a swift social media reckoning after the launch episode, in which celebrities were paired with their professional dance partners.

One viewer wrote on X: “I have no issue with Josh Widdicombe as a comedian, but for this atmosphere, he just feels so out of place.”

Another declared the comedian “out of his depth” fronting the programme.

A third said: “Josh as a comedian? Yes. Josh as a presenter? No. Reading autocue is pretty easy, but what you’re not meant to do is lip-read your co-hosts’ lines. Disappointed, and I would have loved to have seen a former It Takes Two presenter to join the talented Emma and Johannes.”

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Not all reactions were negative, however.

One supporter wrote on X: “Widdecombe is the most talented, successful person on this nonsense. None of the ‘celebs’ or dancers are half as successful as he is. His mistake? Agreeing to do such a dirge.”

Another penned: “I think he’s great!”

Despite sharing many of the criticisms voiced by viewers, Mr Cole was keen to stress that the launch episode alone should not define Mr Widdicombe’s tenure.

“We’re talking about the launch show,” he said.

“Let’s see what the real show is like and give him a chance, because I’d hate to be in his shoes.”

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The former professional dancer, whose own time on Strictly ended when bosses opted not to renew his contract in January 2018, also noted that presenters have limited control over their material.

“As a presenter, you’re essentially presented with a script and you do the script you’ve got,” he said.