New Strictly Come Dancing host: Emma Willis set to join hit BBC show - husband, children and health issues
Emma Willis is set to join Zoe Ball as Strictly Come Dancing host as the pair are reportedly taking over from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
Ever since Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announced their departure from hit BBC show Strictly Come Dancing, speculation has been rife as to who would take over from the hosting duo. Now it has been reported that their replacements have been found with Emma Willis and Zoe Ball set to hit the dancefloor for the next series.
Both women have been tipped for the job previously and it is understood that after Emma “absolutely nailed the chemistry tests”, the BBC offered her the job alongside Zoe. Speaking to The Sun newspaper, a source said: “Emma has been offered the Strictly job and is going to accept. She absolutely nailed the chemistry tests and the BBC adore her.
“Emma is a household name and a safe pair of hands so the BBC know she will do the job justice. She’s incredibly popular with the public too and will suit the role down to a tee.
“She was absolutely thrilled to have been offered the job. Strictly is one of the biggest shows on television and to be trusted with the new era is something Emma feels incredibly proud and humbled by.”
Tess and Claudia announced they were stepping down from Strictly in October last year and since then, Strictly fans have been waiting to find out who would step in for the beloved presenters. Emma seems to have ticked all the right boxes with the source adding: ““Zoe and her really clicked and it’s looking likely that Zoe will take on the role Claudia held in the auditorium with the celebs and the pro’s.”
Emma Willis husband and children
Emma is married to Busted bassist Matt Willis. The pair tied the knot at Rushton Hall in Northamptonshire in 2008 after three years of dating.
The couple share three children together, a daughter named Isabelle born in 2009, a son named Ace born in 2011 and a second daughter, Trixie Grace, born in 2016
Emma Willis TV shows and career
Born in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, Emma started out modelling at the age of 15, working for a range of magazines, retailers and companies including Marie Claire, Elle, Vogue, GAP and Chanel.
She got her first big break presenting on MTV in 2002 and has gone on to host Channel 5 reality shows Big Brother and Celebrity Big Brother. She has also presented the BBC One and ITV talent show The Voice UK and children's spin-off The Voice Kids UK.
More recently, in 2024, she became a co-host of the Netflix dating show Love Is Blind: UK, alongside husband Matt.
Emma Willis health issues
In January, Emma spoke about being “floored” by a hole in the heart diagnosis. The broadcaster discovered she was living with a hole in the heart last year.
The 50-year-old had unknowingly lived with the condition for 48 years, it only becoming evident after a routine health check last January. Medics discovered she had an enlarged heart and a hole between the collecting chambers of the heart called an atrial septal defect.
Willis was told she had a congenital condition, meaning she was born with it. The hole was closed during a keyhole operation at Royal Brompton Hospital in London two months after diagnosis.
Willis said: “The last thing I expected my cardiologist to say was that it was a congenital heart condition. I was floored as I had gone 48 years oblivious, not knowing anything was wrong. It was a bolt out of the blue, and I had a million questions going through my head.
“The mental shift was the biggest challenge, because when you hear those words, it terrifies you. My perspective on life shifted. From diagnosis to surgery was the most present I have been in my life.”