Josh said his working relationship with Emma and Johannes has always felt like a genuine team effort, describing the experience as “joyous”. In an interview with the BBC, the comedian was asked what he enjoys most about working alongside them. “That we feel like a team where there’s no ego,” he said.
He added that none of them is trying to take centre stage, allowing their individual personalities to complement one another. “There’s no one wanting to put themselves out front more than the others. We’ve all got our different personalities and they gel together. Emma and Johannes are just so generous, sweet and funny — they make working on Strictly feel even more exciting and joyous to me.”
Asked about the biggest surprise he has discovered while working on Strictly Come Dancing, Josh highlighted the extraordinary level of care behind the scenes. “I’ve never seen attention to detail like this on any TV show or any place I’ve ever worked,” he said. He praised the commitment and passion of everyone involved, adding that the atmosphere was unlike anything he had experienced before. “I’ve learned that’s the best way you could possibly feel when you go to work: that everyone just loves what they’re doing. That’s so rare in any industry.”
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Emma, Johannes and Josh have faced scrutiny following Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s departure, but the new presenting trio has also attracted strong support. Earlier in the week, professional dancer Lauren Oakley reassured Strictly fans that the show was in “safe hands”.
Lauren, who is partnered with Graeme Hall, shared her message on Instagram Stories. “We couldn’t be in safer hands than with these beautiful people,” she wrote. “Strictly is about family, uplifting others and creating a safe space for celebrity contestants to be vulnerable and do something so outside of their comfort zone.”
She continued: “This trio have been so warm and welcoming, and they felt like family from the minute they stepped into the studio. We love having them with us. Professional, funny, kind and fantastic at what they do, I couldn’t feel more lucky to be sharing the screen and our Saturday nights with them.”