Emma Willis’ LGBTQ+ allyship as she steps in to host Strictly 2026

Former Big Brother host Emma Willis is one of three new presenters on Strictly Come Dancing for 2026, alongside gay pro dancer Johannes Radebe and comedian Josh Widdicombe.

Willis, Radebe and Widdicombe were confirmed as the new Strictly hosts in May, following the departures of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman at the end of 2025’s series.

The celebrity line-up for Strictly 2026 is slowly filling up, with Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer and Delta Goodrem confirmed so far, with more to come.

So as we prepare to dust off our dancing shoes and grab our glitter and sequins, we thought we’d take a look at the times Emma Willis proved she was the ultimate LGBTQ+ ally.

Big Brother grilling

When she was host of Big Brother on Channel 5, Willis had a no-holds-barred approach and was quick to grill housemates on their behaviour in the house.

That included in 2016, during Celebrity Big Brother, when evictee Winston McKenzie’s past comments disagreeing with gay parents adopting children was brought up.

In 2012, he was reported to have said: “To say to a child, ‘I am having you adopted by two men who kiss regularly but don’t worry about it’… that is abuse. It is a violation of a child’s human rights because that child has no opportunity to grow up under normal circumstances.”

His fellow housemates questioned him on his words, and so did Willis when he was evicted.

She said: “It’s not that people think you shouldn’t have opinions. It’s comparing adoption to child abuse – that’s very offensive.” When he tried to bring his Christianity into it, Willis shut him down.

McKenzie said he still agreed with what he’d said in 2012, saying: “I’m not going to change my mind, or the way I am.”

Willis pushed him for an answer, saying: “So you still agree with it. It’s sad people still think that it’s OK. You’re discounting such a large part of the population.”

She later branded the interview “infuriating and frustrating”, saying she stood by her approach despite admitting she could have been more impartial as a host.

“I have my beliefs, and I am not homophobic,” she said. “If you can give a child a home and love then it doesn’t matter if the parents are gay or of different races or whatever. Children just need love. That’s why Winston’s comments offended me so much.”

Celebrating the community

Emma Willis often uses her platform to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.

In 2024, she presented her Big Brother co-star Rylan Clark with the “LGBT+ Celebrity” award at the British LGBT Awards.

This year, she’s set to host the 2026 PEUGEOT Attitude PRIDE Awards Europe, on 3 July. The event will honour 10 inspirational people from the LGBTQ+ community in the UK and Europe.

She told Attitude: “These are people doing extraordinary things for the LGBTQ+ community, often without expecting any recognition at all. Getting to stand up and celebrate them feels like a genuine privilege, and I can’t wait to be part of it.”

Fighting gender norms

Emma Willis and her Busted star husband Matt Willis are often praised for the way in which they raise their children.

While the couple keep their kids out of the public eye, they have in the past shared glimpses of their family life.

In 2021, Emma shared a photo of her then-nine-year-old son Ace, who could be seen with long hair, and wearing a pink crop top.

While some followers were confused by the image, Willis spoke out to praise Ace.

She said: “He is very individual, he dresses the way he wants and he’s really happy doing that. Why would I try to suppress that?

“The response was a big eye-opener, because for me, it’s just Ace, he’s my son and that’s the way he’s always been. So it did massively make me start thinking about stereotyping and how bonkers it is that a boy, just because he has long hair and is wearing pink, is mistaken for a girl.”

She added to The Sun: “t is absolutely fascinating… and shocking. I’ve gone down a rabbit hole to be honest, and because of Ace it’s ignited something in me… You should come to the Willis household – I’m the one changing light bulbs and Matt’s the one mopping!”

The following year, she told Fabulous magazine: “Children should be encouraged to express themselves, to play and to experiment with colour and clothes. What harm are they doing?”

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