The Huffington Post
Josh Widdicombe on The Wheel last year To many, the news that Josh Widdicombe is set to take over as the new host of Strictly Come Dancing may have come as a bolt from the blue. Later this year, the comedian will take over at the helm of Strictly alongside TV personality Emma Willis and professional dancer Johannes Radebe, marking the first time the series has been fronted by a team of three. At this point, Josh has been a fixture on our screens for almost 15 years – known for his work on comedy panel shows, presenting podcasts and as one of the resident hosts of The Last Leg . But if you’re not as familiar with Strictly’s new addition’s career as you’d like to be, allow us to bring you up to speed…. Before he got his start in comedy, Josh Widdicombe pursued a career in journalism After graduating from uni with a degree in linguistics and sociology, Josh got himself a job in the book shop Waterstones’ children’s department, before pursuing a master’s degree in magazine journalism. “I then moved to London and got a job writing for the children’s magazines Dora the Explorer, Angelina Ballerina and Mr Bean for John Brown Media,” he recalled to The Telegraph in 2021. Josh claimed he “got the job because, having worked in the children’s department at Waterstones, I knew an unhealthy amount about kids’ publishing for a 21-year-old”. From there, he briefly worked for The Guardian’s website, and worked as a sub-editor for a sports outlet, but it’s fair to say his heart wasn’t in it. “[I] had no eye for detail,” he admitted. “Chelsea and Liverpool were both knocked out of the FA Cup by lower league opposition, a huge deal, and I got both scorelines the wrong way round on a double page.” Josh Widdicombe doing stand-up in 2021 His big break came when he took part in the Edinburgh Festival’s iconic So You Think You’re Funny? contest In fact, Josh only got into performing stand-up as a means to pursue his true passion of being a comedy writer. He told The Telegraph: “I had no desire to perform but I enrolled on a comedy course, which gave me the confidence to book my first gig.” Josh eventually made it to the final of So You Think You’re Funny? in 2008, before landing his own headlining show in 2011. The show, titled If This Show Saves One Life…, earned four stars in Chortle, who predicted his brand of “safe” but “well-crafted” observational humour could make him the next Michael McIntyre. It also earned him nominations at the Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards and Malcolm Hardee ’s “most likely to make a million quid” title. Once he’d made a name for himself in the comedy world, the TV opportunities came rolling in A year after his headlining show at Edinburgh, Josh became regular on Channel 4’s now-defunct comedy series Stand Up For The Week, as well as debuting on the panel show Mock The Week. Over the years, he’s since popped up in all the usual places, including Mock The Week, 8 Out Of 10 Cats, QI and Have I Got News For You. These days, Josh Widdicombe is best known as one of the hosts of The Last Leg During Channel 4’s coverage of the London Paralympics in 2012, the nightly series The Last Leg aired, featuring Josh alongside Adam Hills and Alex Brooker. Initially a look back over the day’s events at the Paralympics, it proved so popular that when the tournament was over, The Last Leg remained on the air, instead becoming a weekly series reflecting on current affairs, politics and world news. Earlier this year, it wrapped up its 34th series, with Channel 4 having already confirmed that Josh will remain with the show for its 35th later in 2026, as it will not clash with his hosting duties on Strictly. Josh Widdicombe with his Last Leg co-stars Adam Hill and Alex Brooker Besides The Last Leg, he’s been a permanent part of panel shows like Dave’s Hypothetical and BBC Two’s Insert Name Here. Oh, and he’s a two-time Taskmaster champion, too In fact, Josh appeared on the very first season of Taskmaster in 2015, where his competitors included comedians Romesh Ranganathan, Frank Skinner, Roisin Conaty and Tim Key. Josh went on to win the series – with his stand-out moment undoubtedly coming when he left host Greg Davies stunned by having the comic’s name tattooed on his foot. Two years later, he joined Bob Mortimer, Noel Fielding, Katherine Ryan and Rob Beckett on Taskmaster’s first ever ‘champion of champions’ series – which he also won. He’s also a Mastermind champion, winning a celebrity special of the popular quiz show thanks to his knowledge of his specialist subject, Blur. You may also be a fan of Josh Widdicombe’s podcasting work A football devotee (despite his past foray into sports journalism not exactly going swimmingly), he previously hosted the Radio 5 Live series Fighting Talk with sports presenter Georgie Thompson, before launching his own nostalgic podcast about the game called Quickly Kevin, Will He Score?. The show ran for seven years, before coming to an end in 2024 with a live show at London’s Palladium theatre. He now co-hosts the podcast Parenting Hell with fellow comic, and dad, Rob Beckett . They initially launched the series as Lockdown Parenting Hell during the pandemic, and kept it going after it proved to be a hit with listeners. He previously had his own self-titled sitcom on BBC Three Josh – which he created and co-wrote – ran for three seasons, featuring the comedian as a fictionalised version of himself, living in a flatshare with characters played by Elis James and Beattie Edmondson. Jack Dee played the trio’s landlord, with Beattie’s mum Jennifer Saunders also putting in regular appearances. Josh Widdicombe’s wife is also in the TV industry Josh is married to TV producer Rose Hanson, whose credits include numerous comedy shows including Alan Carr’s Chatty Man, Would I Lie To You?, Live At The Apollo and 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown. The couple married in 2019 and share two children, eight-year-old Pearl and five-year-old Cassius. Josh Widdicombe and his wife Rose Hanson in 2023 Anything else we should know? Well, another of Josh’s most memorable TV appearance was in 2021, when he took part in the genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are?. Through his time on the show, Josh learned that he is descended from Tudor nobility, and is even a distant relative of Queen Elizabeth I through her aunt, Mary Boleyn. He also has a book, Watching Neighbours Twice A Day, which tells his life story through the lens of the 90s TV he enjoyed in his youth. In addition to his on-screen work, Josh has previously lent his voice to the hit animated shows Big Lizard and Bluey. Oh – and this isn’t Josh Widdicombe’s first time in the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom, either No, in 2024, he competed in Strictly’s annual Christmas special , performing with Karen Hauer , who left the show in the lead-up to the announcement that Josh would become its new host. Josh and Karen scored 36 out of 40 points for their Charleston to Let It Snow – for which they, naturally, were dressed up as penguins – with Drag Race UK finalist Tayce lifting the Silver Star trophy that year. Strictly Come Dancing will return to our screens later this year. MORE STRICTLY: Here's What Strictly Come Dancing's New Hosts Had To Say About Landing The Job Claudia Winkleman Hails Strictly Come Dancing's 'Magnificent' New Hosts Rylan Clark Shares Honest Reaction To Losing Out On Strictly Hosting Job
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