Ellie Leach Defends 'Chaotic' New Era of Strictly Come Dancing

Former Strictly Come Dancing winner Ellie Leach has spoken out in support of the show's recent changes, including a new hosting lineup and format, asserting that the program continues to possess the ability to unite families.

The 24th season of the popular BBC competition has introduced significant alterations, with Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe stepping in as hosts following the departures of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. While the new trio has elicited mixed reactions from viewers, with Willis receiving praise and Widdicombe facing some criticism for his presenting style, Leach remains enthusiastic.

"It was different, but I love the new format," Leach stated 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."

Leach, who won the Glitterball trophy with Vito Coppola in 2023, expressed her admiration for the new presenters: "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."

Her comments come amid a period of scrutiny for Strictly Come Dancing, which has faced controversies related to professional dancers and its backstage environment. Allegations of misconduct surfaced in 2024, leading to the departures of professional dancers such as Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima. These issues have raised questions about the show's culture and its ability to maintain its status as a flagship entertainment program.

Despite potential ratings fluctuations and public criticism, Leach believes the show's core appeal remains strong. "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."

Leach will be closely following the journey of her friend Vito Coppola and his celebrity partner, Lacey Turner, this season. "Vito is my best friend – I’m very, very excited for him and Lacey. I was so happy when I saw that partnership," she shared, adding that she believes "all of the partnerships look really strong this year."

Reflecting on her own experience, Leach advised this year's contestants to savor every moment. "It goes so fast, so just cherish every single moment whilst you’re in it. 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."

For Leach, Strictly Come Dancing was a transformative experience. "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 show with bolstering her confidence, enabling her to pursue opportunities she might have previously declined. Leach recently reprised her role as Miss Scarlett from the stage production of Cluedo 2 to launch The Royal Mint's new collectable Cluedo 50p coin, a project that highlighted her post-Strictly career path.

"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!" Leach commented on the event. "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."