Strictly Come Dancing professional Johannes Radebe has shared his thoughts on Princess Kate after meeting her up close at the Royal Variety Performance in 2025. The dancer, who will co-host the upcoming series of Strictly alongside Emma Willis and Josh Widdicombe, described the Princess of Wales as 'angelic and regal' during their encounter.
Meeting the Royals
Johannes, currently starring as drag queen Lola in the West End production of Kinky Boots, met the Prince and Princess of Wales at the Royal Variety Performance while still wearing his 'denim boots' and full drag. After performing a number from the show, he reportedly left Prince William impressed by his on-stage skills, especially given his footwear.
Speaking to Hello! Magazine, Johannes said: 'I was still in my denim boots, in full drag. William said: "I don't know how you do it in those heels!" I replied: "I can teach you if you like". We both laughed.'
He added: 'I curtsied to his father, the King, once, and did so for William, too. As for Catherine, I'd never been that close to her before. There's something so angelic and regal about her. She was so gracious, talking to everyone, and really engaged.'
A Dream Waltz
Johannes went on to admit that he would love to waltz with the royal to Audrey Hepburn's 'Moon River' from the 1961 classic Breakfast at Tiffany's. He also joked that Prince William might 'surprise' everyone on the dancefloor in a 'samba costume'.
New Hosting Role
Earlier this month, Johannes disclosed that the Strictly team was still set to 'figure' out the responsibilities of the new presenters, who will replace long-time hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. Speaking on Heart Breakfast with Amanda Holden and Jamie Theakston on June 8, Johannes spoke about his reaction when he found out he had landed the role.
He said: 'It was a massive surprise, and I am - for lack of a better word - I am nervous, and I'm excited about it all at once.' He added: 'Did I see it coming like you said? No, I did not. So when I was offered the opportunity to come in for the chemistry test, I was like, "You know what?". As my agent said, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained".'
When asked if he had to audition with Emma and Josh, Johannes replied: 'Yes, we did. So you can imagine the three of us walking into the room and seeing each other. We're like...' When asked who would take on which role, he continued: 'Jamie, there's no set info yet as to how that is going. Everything is in planning at the moment.' He added: 'We are still going to figure out how it's going to work.'
