From a jokey stint working at the Isle of Wight County Press to a top job on Strictly Come Dancing - our former (and temporary!) colleague Josh Widdicombe has come a long way!
Comedian Widdicombe has today been named as one of the new hosts of the primetime BBC show, along with TV presenter Emma Willis and professional dancer Johannes Radebe.
Widdicombe 'worked' briefly at the County Press as part of the Sky/Now TV series Hold the Front Page, in an episode where he and fellow comedian Nish Kumar joined the paper to cover Cowes Week and other local stories.
The show saw the pair trying their hand at real local journalism, given tasks by then co-editors Lori Little and Lucy Morgan, and working in direct competition with reporter Oliver Dyer.
A memorable moment from series 2, episode 1, saw Widdicombe doing a Facebook Live from Sandown Carnival and getting in the way of the floats.... so the team at Strictly may have their work cut out with their new recruit!
Filming at the County Press took place in the summer of 2023 and the show was broadcast in 2024.
Widdicombe is best known as a stand‑up comedian and as a long‑running co‑host of the Channel 4 show The Last Leg.
He is also widely recognised for frequent appearances on British panel shows such as Mock the Week, QI, and 8 Out of 10 Cats.
From all of us at the CP newsroom: "Good luck Josh... keep dancing!"
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