Emma Willis 'on the mend' after starting therapy as Strictly hosting role 'confirmed'
Emma Willis has revealed she is having therapy and feels like she’s “on the mend” - amid reports that she has landed a hosting role on Strictly Come Dancing.
The presenter, 50, is thought to have been offered one of the hosting jobs on Strictly, being lined up as a replacement for longtime presenter Tess Daly.
The rumours come after months of speculation over who will land the coveted gigs following the exit of longtime hosts Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
Amid the gossip, Willis revealed she has taken the “huge” step of starting therapy to improve her mental health.
She made the revelation when her husband Matt Willis asked her, “What action do you take for your mental health?” on his On The Mend podcast.
Speaking to him on the street in London, she said: “I don't really take any but I do now because I've started having therapy. It's huge. I wouldn't have done it on my own.”
Willis went on: “I wasn't surprised when I started therapy because we have done it before, so I knew what to expect. It is weird when it is just you and I can't blame anything on Matt.
“What was most surprising was how quickly it works because it is a long process and you have to work at it but I felt benefits quite quickly.”
She added: “I mean, I'm not cured but definite little tips that helped me straight away, I'm on the mend.”
Earlier this week, sources claimed the former Big Brother host has been offered a Strictly job after “nailing the chemistry tests”.
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“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.”
Fellow contender Zoe Ball admitted she didn’t get the role and shared her feelings of “grief and rejection” over the loss.
“I didn't get it, but it's OK,” she said on her Dig It podcast with Jo Whiley, out on Tuesday.
Ball - who left her Radio 2 job in 2025 - went on: “I have worked through the seven stages of grief and rejection over the last couple of days.
“No, I didn't get it, but I tell you, what, if who I think has got it, we're in safe hands and our new hosts are going to be fabulous. I'm so thrilled for them, and hopefully at a later date, we'll be able to talk about them in more detail.”
She also hinted that there might be more than two hosts in the new line-up as she praised the “gang” that got it.
Sources appeared to corroborate this theory by claiming Strictly professional dancer Johannes Radebe, nicknamed JoJo, could get a “roving reporter” type of role on the show.
The 39-year-old reportedly impressed bosses with his “incredible” chemistry tests opposite all the other candidates during the gruelling audition process.