Comedian and new Strictly Come Dancing presenter Josh Widdicombe has opened up about his move from London to Devon
Comedian Josh Widdicombe has opened up about his decision to leave London after two decades and head back to Devon. The 43-year-old has been confirmed as one of three new hosts for Strictly Come Dancing, joining Johannes Radebe and Emma Willis. The presenting team have taken over from Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly following their exit last year.
While Josh was born in London, he spent a significant portion of his childhood in the small village of Haytor Vale in Dartmoor. Having spent 20 years in the capital, last summer he relocated back to Devon, settling in Exeter with his wife Rose Hanson and their two children.
Speaking with ITV News last week, he discussed the reasoning behind his major move – and confirmed he hasn’t looked back. “I just wanted my kids to grow up in a garden and to be able to go out and do stuff and enjoy themselves and it not feel stressful,” he said.
“You don’t realise how stressful living in London is until you leave. You leave and you’re like ‘oh my God, you can breathe again’.”
When questioned about how he’s adapting to life in the South West, he added: “It’s brilliant, it’s so good being here. I absolutely love it. And they [his children] love it. But maybe when they’re teenagers they’ll be angry at the decision.”
One connection to the county that Josh has maintained is his unwavering support for his beloved Plymouth Argyle. Predictably, he declined to shift his loyalties to Exeter following the relocation, explaining: “I don’t hate Exeter because I’m a Plymouth Argyle fan, I feel a bit of a fondness for them because I like all the West Country clubs. But obviously my son won’t come anywhere near an Exeter City shirt and my daughter’s been very clear to me that she hates football.”
He went on to describe the South West as being like “no other place in the UK”. Josh is set to present the new series of Strictly after featuring in the 2024 Christmas Special.
Following the announcement, he commented: “Dancing the Charleston dressed as a penguin for the 2024 Christmas Special of Strictly remains my career high point, so I am giddy with excitement, honoured and a little overawed to be given the chance to step into the biggest shoes in television. I adore Emma and Jojo and can’t wait to spend my weekends with them. I’ll dust off the penguin costume.”
Strictly’s Executive Producer Sarah James also welcomed Josh’s addition to the lineup. She remarked: “Josh had us all in stitches with his unique style of self-deprecating humour and razor-sharp wit – and let’s not forget, he got a ten from Anton in the Christmas Special, so I think he already considers himself a pro dancer…”
Josh’s prominence has grown consistently in recent years. Since 2012, he has fronted Channel 4’s The Last Leg, while his parenting podcast with Rob Beckett, Parenting Hell, frequently ranks amongst Apple’s most popular podcasts.
