JOSH Widdicombe’s casting as the new Strictly Come Dancing host? Just the latest BBC box-ticking exercise. Specifically these:
The ‘Hobbit’ box
If BBC presenters aren’t from London, they tend to come from the North or Wales. And while this is good for representation, the broadcaster has been lacking when it comes to hiring scruffy-haired yokels from the Shire. Widdicombe hits this diversity target and thanks to clever camerawork you’ll never know he’s three feet shorter than Emma Willis.
The ‘Zippy-voiced’ box
Most presenters have voices audiences enjoy hearing, but not everyone is blessed with the warm, earthy tones of a Wogan or Attenborough. By presenting a prime time family show, Josh Widdicombe has beaten those gatekeepers and proved the weirdly-voiced deserve the dignity of being listened to as well. His laugh is also a bit much.
The ‘annoys your mum and dad’ box
Every light entertainment BBC show must include at least one host that makes your mum and dad leave furious, misspelt screeds in the Daily Mail comments section. A clever move on the Beeb’s part, as angry parents will purposefully tune in regardless to boost their blood pressure and bump up the ratings in the process.
The ‘not Romesh Ranganathan’ box
Hard to believe, but a slim minority of BBC shows are not presented by Romesh Ranganathan. Often they’re scheduled in BBC Three’s graveyard slot so as not to disturb people with his troubling absence. To ease the general public into the weird notion of a mainstream show without him, there will be trigger warnings before each episode.
The ‘straight white male’ box
The rarest of all boxes. Contrary to popular belief, the BBC is charter-bound to hire a heterosexual white man as a presenter every now and then. Having listened to the mixed reaction to Josh Widdicombe’s announcement though, the broadcaster will make sure this box is never ticked again. It’s diversity hiring from here on out because that’s what the public wants.
