It’s Strictly Glum Dancing: Show’s new presenting trio aren’t exactly putting on the glitz like Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman

Since its launch in 2004, Strictly Come Dancing has been known for its sparkle and glitter.

But a promotional photo for the next series released by the BBC yesterday shows the new presenting team showing little of the dazzle of their predecessors.

While Tess Daly And Claudia Winkleman were known for their colorful outfits and on-screen vim, the new presenters – Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe – static posing in muted colours.

Ms Willis, 50, is dressed in a gold party dress with her hair gelled back, while Radebe, 39, still looks more like a professional ballroom dancer than a presenter.

Meanwhile, some jokers introduced Widdicombe, the comedian who co-hosts Channel 4‘s The Last Leg, looks like he’s auditioning for a role in a Harry Potter film.

A show insider told The Mail on Sunday: ‘Strictly hasn’t aired yet but there are fears it won’t be the golden Saturday night show audiences are used to.

‘There is a genuine fear that Emma and her gang will not strike the chord that audiences, who love the sparkle of the show, expect.’

The next series begins on September 19, amid criticism of the relatively obscure collection of celebrity contestants, including sports YouTuber John Nellis, Love Island’s Cach Mercer and Kim Kardashian’s hairdresser, Chris Appleton.

There’s a long-running joke in there BBC towers that staff have been frantically storming in recent weeks Googling like never before.

Not to research the world news or check the weather forecast, but to find out who the heck the celebrities are in the new Strictly cohort.

For some, the list of names has left them baffled. While in previous years a handful of the star participants may not have been immediately recognizable household names, most were.

Certain members of the company’s upper echelons are panicking that the high-stakes experiment to draw new viewers to the much-maligned show could backfire.