Ellie Taylor faces mixed reaction as Strictly: It Takes Two returns with a new format

Ellie Taylor’s first night as host of Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two has divided viewers, with some praising the comedian’s energy while others criticised the show’s revamped format and complained that some of her jokes felt overly scripted.

Taylor, 42, made her debut on Monday, September 28, after taking over from Fleur East and Janette Manrara. The comedian is no stranger to the Strictly world, having competed on the show herself in 2022.

But while Taylor’s arrival brought a fresh face to the BBC Two companion programme, viewers quickly focused on a bigger change: celebrities appeared without their professional dance partners.

The format means the familiar interviews featuring each celebrity alongside their professional partner are no longer the central feature of the opening episodes. On Monday, Delta Goodrem, Chris Appleton and Jamie Winstone appeared together without their respective professionals.

The change prompted a wave of reaction online, with some fans questioning whether the new approach has moved too far away from what they enjoyed about It Takes Two.

Viewers question the new It Takes Two format

Several viewers said they missed seeing the celebrities and professionals sitting together and discussing their training, routines and partnership.

One viewer wrote that Taylor’s jokes felt flat and complained about the amount of time spent with the celebrities sitting together on the sofa.

Another described the programme as feeling “over scripted”, while questioning the new set and calling for changes to the format and scripting.

Others were even more direct, describing the changes as a “total downgrade” and arguing that the programme was changing a formula that had not needed such a major overhaul.

One viewer pointed to the show’s title itself, arguing that the format should naturally involve “a celeb AND a pro” sitting together.

There was also uncertainty over whether the absence of the professionals would continue throughout the series. One fan suggested the arrangement might simply be designed to help the programme get through all of the couples during the early weeks, while another said the format could be tolerated during the opening week because nobody had yet been eliminated.

The reaction was far from universally negative, however.

Some viewers praised Taylor’s performance and welcomed the change of pace. One said the show had been a good refresh while admitting they still missed seeing the professionals interviewed alongside their celebrity partners.

Others simply declared that Taylor was “fab”, while another viewer described her appearance as lively and enjoyable.

Taylor had previously explained that the revamped programme would combine familiar elements with new features. She said groups of celebrities would appear without their professional partners, while professionals would also have opportunities to appear without their celebrities. The intention, she said, was to give viewers a different perspective on their experiences.

She also said the programme would feature a Monday panel involving former contestants and professionals, while professionals would appear on Fridays to make predictions about the weekend’s performances and return on Mondays to discuss what they had seen.

A new presenter arrives as Strictly faces scrutiny

Taylor’s debut comes at a particularly sensitive moment for Strictly Come Dancing, following major changes to the main programme.

Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe have replaced long-serving presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, with the three sharing presenting duties in a redesigned format.

The first live show on Saturday, September 26, drew an average of 4.8 million viewers on BBC One and peaked at five million. It was the most-watched programme of the night, according to the BBC, although the overnight average was below the 6.2 million recorded for the equivalent first live show in 2025.

It was also the first time since 2019 that Strictly’s first live show attracted fewer viewers than its launch episode. The programme faced additional competition on Saturday from ITV1’s UEFA Nations League match between England and Spain.

The two-and-a-half-hour live programme was the first chance for viewers to see the new presenting trio working together under the pressure of a live broadcast.

Josh Widdicombe finds himself under the spotlight

During the first live show, viewers noticed several moments when Josh Widdicombe appeared to struggle with his cues.

After speaking to Love Island’s Cach Mercer following his performance, Johannes Radebe handed over to Emma Willis and Widdicombe to introduce the next couple.

When the camera cut to them, Widdicombe initially stood without speaking before realising that he was expected to begin the link. A similar moment occurred later in the programme.

The comedian was also teased by judge Motsi Mabuse during Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey’s feedback.

Following Craig Revel Horwood’s comments, Mabuse said she agreed with him for once. Revel Horwood responded by suggesting they could move on to Shirley Ballas, prompting Mabuse to insist that she had to do her job as well.

Widdicombe then jokingly called out “Shirley!” as though trying to move the programme along.

Mabuse responded playfully by asking whether they were going to be friends or enemies, leaving Widdicombe and the audience laughing.

One viewer on X joked that Widdicombe might already be worried about losing his job, praising Mabuse for the exchange.

Yet some viewers argued that Widdicombe himself was not the underlying problem. Instead, they questioned the decision to have three presenters sharing two main roles.

Fans debate how the three-host setup should work

During the pre-recorded launch show, the three presenters rotated between different positions in the Elstree studio.

For the first live programme, Willis took the role traditionally associated with Tess Daly on the dancefloor, speaking to contestants during the judges’ feedback.

Radebe was positioned in the “Clauditorium”, where he spoke to professional dancers and their celebrity partners.

That left Widdicombe alongside Willis, where he was expected to provide much of the comic commentary.

Some viewers felt the arrangement left him looking uncomfortable, particularly when standing beside the more experienced Willis.

Others argued that his strengths as a comedian would be better used in the role previously occupied by Claudia Winkleman.

Widdicombe has 14 years of live television experience through Channel 4’s The Last Leg, and some fans suggested that his style would work better if he were given more freedom to provide comedy rather than being placed beside another presenter.

One viewer said they did not want to criticise Widdicombe personally, arguing instead that three presenters were unnecessary and that he appeared to have little to do beside Willis.

Another suggested swapping Widdicombe and Radebe, reasoning that the comedian could bring more of his improvisational style to the area where Radebe was currently stationed.

The debate over the main show has now carried into the spin-off, where Taylor is facing a different set of expectations.

Ellie Taylor’s first night receives both criticism and praise

Taylor’s appointment marked another significant change for It Takes Two, but her familiarity with Strictly gives her a direct connection to the programme.

She competed in the 2022 series and has since worked as a comedian and presenter. Ahead of her debut, Taylor said her experience as a former contestant would help her understand the pressures faced by the celebrities.

The BBC has described the new series as a refreshed version of the companion programme, with Taylor presenting from Elstree Studios and covering backstage stories, interviews and features throughout the competition.

The first episode of the new series aired at 6.30pm on BBC Two on Monday, September 28.

For some viewers, the changes appear to be welcome. Others are waiting to see whether the professional dancers will become a bigger part of the programme as the series progresses.

The professionals are scheduled to feature in different ways during the week, including appearances without their celebrity partners and group appearances designed to offer a broader view of the competition.

For now, Taylor’s first appearance has left It Takes Two facing the same question as the main show: whether viewers will embrace the new approach or continue to compare it with the format they already knew.