Strictly Come Dancing viewers call out ‘rude’ interaction between judge and Josh Widdicombe

| Senior TV Reporter Published October 3, 2026 9:07pm Updated October 3, 2026 9:07pm Is there something in the air between Josh Widdicombe and Motsi Mabuse? (Picture: BBC) Strictly Come Dancing fans have sensed some ‘tension’ between host Josh Widdicombe and judge Motsi Mabuse. As the flagship BBC show returns for a new season, we’ve dived headfirst into movies week and seen all sorts of fictional characters from Elphaba to Jack and Rose come to life on the ballroom floor. It’s also early days for our new hosting trio, Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe, as fans adjust to the new on-screen dynamic after Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman left last season. Downstairs, we have the Last Leg host, 43 and Love Is Blind presenter, 50, teaming up to interact with the freshly danced-out celebrities and the judges as they bestow their critiques. While fans have been pleading for Josh to be moved upstairs to interview the duos after their performances, so far he has remained steadfast, and this week especially took on a more prominent role leading the banter with judges. Get personalised updates on Strictly Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro’s TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we’ll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. However, fans have noticed that there seems to be an odd energy between Josh and judge Motsi. In the past few weeks, he’s tried making a few jokes with her about his bad attempt at a Charleston and skipping her comments. The Last Leg host has been joking with all the judges over the past couple weeks (Picture: BBC) But they seem to have fallen flat. ‘I’m sensing a bit of tension from Motsi when Josh talks to her,’ Leljoyce noted on X. ‘Motsi is weirdly rude to Josh everytime she speaks?’ Drrewrya shared. BillyElliot1999 went as far as to claim she ‘just can’t hide her contempt for Josh’, while rjjo85 more gently asked: ‘Anyone else noticed Motsi being a bit harsh to Josh? Did it last week and now this.’ Last week, some noticed a jokey interaction between the two that perhaps hinted at some underlying tension when Josh said he was ready to hear from head judge Shirley Ballas, moving on from Motsi. The dancer then quipped: ‘Are we going to be friends or enemies? You choose now!’ Despite some picking up on potential tension in the studio, outside the dance floor it seems Motsi is backing Josh all the way. After he faced backlash following his live debut, Motsi took to Threads to share her own cryptic two pence. ‘While people type away, tearing apart real human beings on television, real emotions !!!!!!!’ she wrote. The 43-year-old comedian has been under lots of scrutiny since taking on the coveted role (Picture: BBC) Then continued: ‘AI is getting better at replacing them. One day we might not even know the difference. ‘And maybe then we’ll miss the days when television was still beautifully, imperfectly human.’ Time will tell if the pair settle into an easier chemistry. Meanwhile, the trio are still working to prove themselves to sceptical audiences ahead of this year’s first elimination, which will be revealed tomorrow night. Metro has reached out to Motsi Mabuse and Josh Widdicombe’s representatives for comment. Deals of the Day Kurt Geiger's new Notting Hill collection is a love letter to London's chaotic weather I’ve found the Hoover gadget that could make cleaning your floors so much easier I tried L'Oréal Paris's new PDRN serum and my skin looked glossier after one use This new Cricut gadget turns your favourite photos into stickers in minutes From kitchen hatches to burgundy walls – the biggest home trends for 2027 Strictly Come Dancing airs at weekends on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Arrow MORE: Emma Willis’s husband defends star as ‘perfect’ Strictly host after BBC viewer criticism Arrow MORE: Karen Carney: ‘I won Strictly – it took me 6 months to recover’ Arrow MORE: Strictly Come Dancing star Katya Jones in trouble after breaking ‘strict’ BBC rule TV Newsletter Sign up and tell us which TV shows you love to watch to get personalised updates every morning.