Matt Willis has revealed that his wife Emma's new job as the host of Strictly Come Dancing was a 'curveball,' amid growing criticism around the new hosting trio.

The presenter landed the coveted gig of fronting the BBC show alongside Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe, but the lineup has received a lacklustre response from viewers.

While Emma has earned praise for her presenting skills, fans have remarked that Josh looked like a 'spare part' next to her, and ratings for this new series have slumped when compared to the 2025 run.

Matt has now defended his wife by insisting she is 'perfect' for the job and said she was 'really excited' to make her debut in the ballroom.

Emma also appeared to respond to the criticism on Tuesday by sharing a cryptic social media post, with an inspiring quote about breaking free from judgment.

Speaking in an interview that took place just two days before Emma's first Strictly appearance, Matt said: 'She's really happy, really excited.'

He told The Telegraph: 'It felt different, this job, because she really wanted it, and I think she was scared to say that out loud,' he says.

'Strictly was a curveball. Taking the biggest job on TV was not on our bingo card for 2026, but I'm so proud of her. And if anyone can do it, it's her. I'm stoked for her, she's perfect for it, and loves the show so much.'

Things got off to a shaky start on Saturday's first live show with new presenting team Josh, Emma and Johannes taking the reins as viewers weren't convinced by the new set-up.

Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, Emma shared a series of behind-the-scenes snaps from the show as she brushed off any critique with an inspiring quote about breaking free from judgment. 

It read: 'You'll get judged either way, so may as well pick the fun option.' 

On Saturday night comedian Josh, 43, was presenting from the dancefloor with Emma as Tess Daly did previously, while Johannes, 39, interviewed the stars from the auditorium like Claudia Winkleman. 

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.

And the BBC also failed to pull in as many viewers as they perhaps would have wanted, as 4.8million tuned in – down substantially on last year's 6.2million for the first live show.

Emma herself has evaded most of the criticism for her hosting performance and her comments were flooded with support from her fans, including Johannes, who left a heart emoji.

It is the first time since 2019 that the first live show has rated lower than the pre-recorded launch show. 

Last month's pre-recorded launch show peaked at 5.8million viewers, according to overnight figures, up slightly on last year's peak of 5.6million.

However, the episode averaged at 5.3million viewers, down from 5.4million in 2025.

While the peak figure represents a small rise on last year, it remains well below the figures recorded before the programme was hit by a series of controversies.

This includes allegations about the treatment of celebrity contestants and the culture behind the scenes, leading to the departure of professional dancers Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima and prompting the BBC to introduce tougher welfare measures.

Before the string of scandals, the Strictly launch peaked at 6.7million viewers and averaged 6.3million in 2023.