Josh Widdicombe to take part in Strictly's Christmas show

Comedian Josh Widdicombe has been revealed as the first celebrity taking part in the Christmas competition.

The 41-year-old is best known for Channel 4 comedy panel show The Last Leg, where he appears alongside Adam Hills and Alex Brooker, and has fronted his own semi-autobiographical BBC Three show, Josh, as well as hosting the Dave panel show Hypothetical.

Monday’s Strictly: It Takes Two episode shared the news, telling fans the comedian will be paired with professional dancer Karen Hauer, who competed with former footballer Paul Merson on this year’s main series until he became the fourth celebrity to be eliminated.

Josh Widdicombe is the first celebrity to be announced for the Strictly Christmas special this year (Image: BBC/PA Wire)

Josh Widdicombe announced for Strictly Christmas special 2024

Widdicombe said: “I am utterly terrified this will end in humiliation and worried I’m going to be so bad I will ruin Christmas for the nation.

“Why have I done this?”

He co-hosts the podcast Parenting Hell with comedian Rob Beckett and you might also recognise him from comedy panel shows including Smart TV, QI, A League Of Their Own, Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable and Have I Got News For You, as well as being a guest host on Pointless.

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The competition will see six celebrities take part in the competition – these have yet to be announced.

Widdicombe previously won the first series of Taskmaster and the Champion of Champions special of the comedy show and now he’ll have his sights set on the Silver Star trophy.

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Regular Strictly judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Shirley Ballas will decide the winner of the Christmas special along with votes from the studio audience.

Last year, EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick and professional dancer Nancy Xu lifted the Silver Star trophy.

Borthwick is currently competing in the main show with professional partner Michelle Tsiakkas, while Xu and her celebrity partner, The X Factor winner and singer Shayne Ward, left after losing the dance-off in Sunday’s results show.

The rest of the Christmas special line-up will be announced on Strictly: It Takes Two in due course, the BBC said.