HEARTBREAKING: Emma Willis’ ‘Cry For Help’ Spotted As Awkward Strictly Moment Raises Eyebrows
Emma Willis made her debut as one of the new Strictly Come Dancing hosts last weekend, but a body language expert believes she may have shown a brief “cry for help” during the programme.
Judi James analysed the behaviour of the new hosting trio during their pre-recorded launch appearance, paying particular attention to Emma, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe.
The trio’s first appearance had already divided viewers, with some questioning whether the new three-presenter format would work. Now Judi has suggested that the show could feel more natural if the presenters were regularly split into smaller combinations.
Judi James spots Emma Willis’ ‘cry for help’
Speaking to the Daily Star on behalf of Paddy Power Bingo, Judi examined the presenters’ behaviour during their first show together.
She said Emma’s connection with the audience appeared to remain “as strong and perfect as ever”, but claimed to have noticed a brief change in her expression when she looked directly into the camera.
According to Judi, Emma’s eye smile appeared to dip for a split second. She interpreted the subtle movement as an involuntary micro “cry for help”, based on the presenter’s behaviour during the broadcast.
Judi also studied the trio’s entrance through the dry ice during the opening dance, as well as their early physical interactions.
She claimed the first hand-holding moments looked somewhat uncomfortable, particularly when Emma interacted with Josh.
Judi said Emma’s hand clasp with Josh was held lower but still appeared awkward, while Josh looked “like a schoolboy being led through the gates at the start of the new term.”
She suggested the moment highlighted that the presenters “just don’t know each other enough yet”.
Strictly change Judi James wants
For Judi, however, the main issue was not necessarily any individual presenter but the way the trio had been positioned on screen.
She argued that placing all three hosts together on the relatively small balcony sofa left them with limited room to use natural body language.
Emma appeared more comfortable when she had additional space to present by herself, according to Judi’s analysis.
During the programme, the presenters were also separated into smaller combinations, with one host taking a turn on the dancefloor while the other two spoke to members of the cast elsewhere.
Judi felt these two-presenter moments appeared more relaxed almost immediately than sequences featuring all three hosts together.
She also suggested that having three presenters on screen simultaneously could eventually become tiring for viewers.
Her proposed solution would be to keep the trio as the show’s presenting team while making the two-one split a more regular feature of the programme.
When Strictly Come Dancing returns
This year’s launch marked the first Strictly Come Dancing series to feature three presenters, with Emma, Johannes and Josh taking over from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
Tess and Claudia both stepped down following last year’s series.
The launch episode also saw all 15 celebrity contestants paired with their professional dance partners ahead of the competition.
Strictly Come Dancing will now move into its first live show this weekend, giving the new hosting trio another chance to settle into their roles in front of the audience.
