Ellie Leach gives her verdict on Strictly's 'chaotic' new era amid criticism over hosting trio - as the former winner admits the BBC show 'genuinely changed my life'

Former Strictly Come Dancing winner Ellie Leach has thrown her support behind the BBC show's new era amid criticism – insisting she loves the revamped format and believes the programme still has the power to bring families together.The 24th series of Strictly has undergone one of the biggest makeovers in its history, with Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe taking over as hosts following the departures of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. The new presenting trio have divided viewers, with Emma Willis attracting particular praise while Josh Widdicombe has faced some early criticism over his presenting style.But Ellie, who lifted the Glitterball alongside Vito Coppola in 2023, is firmly behind the changes.‘It was different, but I love the new format,’ she said in an interview with the Daily Mail. ‘In the launch show, they had more of a dance element. Usually they just have an opening routine and then a closing routine, but the fact that they had three different sections of dance, I thought that was so fun.‘Even though it was absolute chaos, I kind of love that. We need a bit of chaos in our lives sometimes.’ Former Strictly Come Dancing winner Ellie Leach has thrown her support behind the BBC show's new era amid criticism – insisting she loves the revamped format and believes the programme still has the power to bring families togetherSpeaking on the new presenting trio, Ellie, 24, added: ‘I love them. I thought they all did amazing.‘I mean JoJo, he's incredible. The fact that he already knows everyone anyway and is so comfortable, and then Emma and Josh it was so nice to see two new faces.‘I'm really excited to see what it's going to be like throughout the whole series and how they're going to do it, obviously, with three presenters now as opposed to two.‘Strictly's got that nostalgic feeling anyway and it's nice to add a little bit of extra into the mix.’The new-look Strictly comes after a turbulent period for the BBC favourite, which has faced a string of controversies surrounding its professional dancers and backstage culture.The programme was rocked by allegations of misconduct in 2024, followed by the departures of professionals including Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima.Further controversies have continued to dog the show, prompting renewed questions about its culture and whether the BBC can preserve the magic of one of its biggest entertainment brands.Meanwhile, the revamped line-up failed to deliver the ratings boost BBC bosses had hoped for.For former champion Ellie, however, the numbers and criticism do not change what she believes makes Strictly special, adding she hopes people continue to tune in.‘I think it’s a show that really brings families together,’ she said.‘It’s one of the only shows and the only time when people sit as a full family because they can all enjoy it. Every member of each family knows someone who's taking part because they're so good at bringing such a wide variety of people to the line-up. ‘It brings so much joy to people’s lives, and it’s nice to have that fresh new look while also keeping the vibe of the family fun that Strictly brings.’ The new presenting trio have divided viewers, with Emma Willis attracting particular praise while Josh Widdicombe has faced some early criticism over his presenting styleThe former Coronation Street star will also be keeping a particularly close eye on one couple this year – her close friend Vito and his new celebrity partner Lacey Turner.‘Vito is my best friend – I’m very, very excited for him and Lacey. I was so happy when I saw that partnership,’ she said.‘All of the partnerships look really strong this year; everyone looks like they are with who they should be with.’Having experienced the extraordinary pressure of the show herself, Ellie also has some advice for this year's contestants.‘It goes so fast, so just cherish every single moment whilst you’re in it,’ she said.‘Obviously, it’s intense, it’s fun, it’s exciting, it’s sometimes stressful – it’s amazing. You have to live in all the moments.’And despite having already lifted the Glitterball, Ellie has made it clear she has no intention of leaving the Strictly family behind.‘It changed my life, and so it will always be so special to me.‘Any involvement I can get, I’m like, “Yep, I’ll be there at the live show, yep, I’ll do this, yep, I’ll do that.” I’m Strictly’s biggest fan.‘People think I’m being dramatic because it’s just a dance show, but it genuinely did change my life.’She credits the programme with giving her the confidence to take opportunities she would previously have turned down. Cluedo coins being inspected by actress Ellie Leach, who has played Miss Scarlett in the stage show Cluedo 2, ahead of the coins being launched by The Royal Mint with a new competition to win a gold coin‘Everything that I’ve done since then I would never have done, I would never have said yes to if I hadn’t done Strictly. It just brought me that real confidence that I didn’t have before,’ she said.‘It’s just changed the way I’ve thought about things, the way that I believe in myself.’One of the work commitments Ellie took on post Strictly was starring as Miss Scarlett in the UK tour of Cluedo 2 - The Next Chapter, which marked her stage acting debut.This week, Ellie reprised her role to front the launch of The Royal Mint's new collectable Cluedo 50p coin, produced in collaboration with Hasbro, a leading games, IP and toy company.Styled as a modern-day Miss Scarlett – a role Leach first played in the stage production of Cluedo 2 in 2024 – she unveiled the coin at an immersive Cluedo-themed launch event, kicking off The Case of the Missing Coin, the online competition challenging fans to solve three weekly clues for the chance to win their own gold 50pcoin worth over £2,000.Ellie said: ‘Playing Miss Scarlett on stage was one of my favourite roles, so getting to bring her back to life for The Royal Mint was such a fun challenge – except this time, I ended up as the victim of the crime rather than solving it!‘Holding the coin for the first time was such a special moment, and I love how much detail has been included in the design. I can’t wait for everyone to get involved and see if they can crack the case.’