That is 0 articles you have read today.
The Aporia is free and carries no advertising, so readers are the only
thing paying for it. If you are getting this much out of it, a small
donation is what keeps it independent.
Daily limit reached
You have read 0 articles today.
That is more than the 15 a day The Aporia gives away,
and well past what it can carry on nothing. Your allowance resets at
midnight.
There is no advertising here and nothing about you is sold, so readers
are the only thing paying for it. If the site is worth this much of
your day, it is worth a few dollars.
Everything else stays open: the
maps, the
directory and
search do
not count against this, and neither does re-opening something you have
already read today.
The latest episode of "Strictly Come Dancing" saw a significant drop in viewership to 4.5 million from 6.2 million last year, according to Digital i ratings data. Jordan, a former Strictly winner, criticized host Josh Widdicombe for appearing nervous and suggested that co-host Tess Willis should take on more responsibilities. Jordan also noted the show's current format is messy and needs improvement.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Sunday's episode of Strictly Come Dancing saw a significant drop in viewership, drawing only 4.5 million viewers compared to 6.2 million last year, according to data from Digital i. Former Strictly winner Jordan, speaking to Mecca Bingo, criticized new host Josh Widdicombe, saying he appears "really nervous" and suggested that co-host Emma Willis should take a more prominent role. The decline in ratings has sparked discussions about the show's direction and performance, with critics pointing out the need for both hosts to improve their on-screen chemistry and confidence. A BBC spokesperson acknowledged the drop but noted that overnight ratings do not reflect total viewership including those who watch via on-demand services.
Written for “Strictly Ratings Drop” on 2026-10-07,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 63124 · logged 2026-10-07
Sunday's show drew in just 4.5 million viewers, compared to 6.2 million last year, according to ratings data shared by Digital i.
Speaking to Mecca Bingo, former Strictly winner Jordan said Widdicombe comes across as “really nervous” and Willis should “take over more”.
uncertain
Willis → draw → more
Discussing the new line-up, she said: “It's just so fresh at the moment.
asserted
It → discuss → moment
I think Emma is amazing and I would like her to talk more.
asserted
her → think → ?
I would like her to take over more.
asserted
her → like → more
The other two, obviously, I think they're still finding their feet.
asserted
they → think → feet
I think they just need to clean it all up and make it a bit cleaner for next time.”
asserted
it → think → time
Discussing the backlash surrounding Widdicombe, she added: “I think maybe Josh Widdicombe is really nervous still, so I think we're not getting that comedy as we would like to.
asserted
we → discuss → comedy
I think he needs to maybe warm up a bit more and maybe he's just really nervous.”
asserted
he → think → ?
A BBC spokesperson said of the ratings: "The UK's most watched programmes this weekend were Strictly Come Dancing and the Strictly Come Dancing results show.
asserted
programmes → say → ratings
As ever, overnight ratings do not give the full picture of all those who watch in an on-demand world."
asserted
who → give → world
Widdicombe has been under fire after a series of apparent blunders during the live shows, with critics claiming he kept “missing his cue” and looked like a “spare part”.
asserted
he → claim → part
The same issue appeared to happen again during a different handover.
asserted
issue → appear → handover
Widdicombe broke his silence after the backlash by re-sharing a round-up post from the official Strictly Instagram page.
asserted
Widdicombe → break → page
It was captioned, "Caught on camera from week one!" and featured a snap of him flashing a peace sign while posing backstage with Willis.
asserted
him → caption → Willis
The comments on the post were full of support for Widdicombe, with fans saying they were “saddened” by the “disgusting” backlash.
asserted
they → say → backlash
The Voice presenter shared a snap of a pink canvas with blue writing that read: “You will get judged either way so may as well pick the fun option.”
uncertain
You → share → option
The Aporia
