Strictly stars Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita have revealed what it's really like working with the new presenting trio: Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johaness Radebe. Speaking with the Express and other outlets, Olympian Tabby said, "Obviously with Johannes, I, being a Strictly fan, was like, 'Whoa, he is an icon,' and now I just casually talk to him in the corridor! And then with Emma and Josh as well, they're just incredible at what they do, and I love that they all have different energies that complement each other. And that's nice for us as well, because depending on how your dance has gone and how you're feeling that day, it's nice to have different people who are gonna either make you laugh or say something really heartfelt or understand because they've been through it themselves. I'm really liking working with them."
"They're super supportive, like really lovely people, which is really nice," Mark added. "They genuinely are very kind people."
"Consistent in front of the camera and behind the camera," Tabby agreed. The duo, who impressed the judges with their Paso Doble last week, are still riding high after snagging second place on the leaderboard.
"I feel really proud of what we did," Tabby noted. "And I think it's nice to get a good score because it gives you a bit of confidence. Now it's just about carrying that forward.
"I'm learning about the performance side of it, especially that Paso; it really pulled something out of me," she continued.
"And now I've got it there; I'm like, ok, I want to keep this. I want to hang on to what was really good about that, add more, and try to carry it over."
"When you're making a dance, or preparing it fresh every week, you try to figure out what works to get to the point that earns a good score, so you almost make it a little system," Mark explained.
"At the same time, every dance is so different, so we're trying our best to discover new parts. Obviously, for Tabby, this is completely new. She had never danced eight weeks ago, and so the ability to figure things out, putting it together and then being able to know that you can pull it through on Saturday night every week is, I think, the fun part about it all."
"At the beginning of this process, on a Tuesday when things weren't clicking, I'd be nervous, and think, 'Gosh, how am I going to do this on Saturday?'" Tabby reflected. "Now, I still have those feelings, but I know I can do it on Saturday because I've done it before."
As for dealing with criticism from the judges, the skeleton racer is well-accustomed to taking feedback. "I'm used to that from being in an elite sport; constructive criticism is my bread and butter," Tabby declared.
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