Who is Josh Widdicombe, and who is his wife Rose Hanson? Meet the new Strictly Come Dancing host

JOSH Widdicombe has landed an exciting new role alongside Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe as one of the new hosts of Strictly Come Dancing.

Known for his geeky, relatable brand of comedy, he marks something of a wildcard selection to step into the legendary shoes of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.

Many fans expected the likes of Rylan Clark, Bradley Walsh or Alan Carr to fill the role, meaning that the comic’s appointment has come as something of a surprise.

But The Sun exclusively revealed how Josh, who appeared on the 2024 Strictly Christmas special, impressed during auditions to earn his place on the presenting line-up – here’s everything you need to know about him.

Who is Josh Widdicombe?

Josh Widdicombe was born to parents Gerald and Sarah Widdicombe in London on April 8, 1983, but grew up in Devon.

The comedian has an older brother Henry, who is a comedy promoter.

He studied Sociology and Linguistics at The University of Manchester.

Josh’s first job was writing poems and puzzles for the Dora The Explorer magazine, and he later worked for the Guardian as a sports journalist.

Josh got his break in comedy in 2008 when he entered the Laughing Horse New Act of the Year – he has said that he didn’t realise it was a competition, but he reached the semi-finals.

A year later he won the Leicester Mercury New Comedian of the Year Award.

Josh went on to support the likes of Alan Carr and Russell Howard, before performing several solo stand-up tours.

In 2021, Josh found out that he was related to King Henry VIII when he appeared on Who Do You Think You Are?.

Josh said: “To say it’s exceeded my expectations is the understatement of a lifetime.

“I was just expecting a couple of farmers. It’s proper blue blood, isn’t it?”

Speaking about the revelation on his podcast with Rob Beckett, the star said: “It was secret and that is my 13 times grandmother.

“None of the money f***ing came through. None of the power came through. Just the chip on my shoulder.”

What TV shows has Josh Widdicombe been on?

Josh has been a regular panellist on Have I Got News For You since 2014, and presents the satirical news show The Last Leg with Adam Hills and Alex Brooker.

The trio have hosted the popular Channel 4 show since 2012.

He also wrote and starred in three series of the BBC Three sitcom Josh, in which he plays himself.

The comedian won the first series of Taskmaster in 2015, and followed that up with the Champion Of Champions title in 2017, as well as making his appearance on the Strictly Christmas special in 2024.

Who is Josh Widdicombe’s wife Rose Hanson?

Josh is married to Rose Hanson, who is a leading TV producer in the comedy world.

She often works with the BBC, delivering shows such as Would I Lie to You? and Live At The Apollo.

Moving in similar circles as her husband, Rose has worked with Alan Carr to produce his Channel 4 show Chatty Man.

She even produced the live tour recording of Josh Widdicombe’s The Last Leg co presenter Adam Hills.

The comedy power couple have been married since 2019 and split their time between London and a second home in Cornwall.

They have two children together – a nine-year-old daughter called Pearl and a five-year-old son called Cassius.