BBC Strictly host Josh Widdicombe 'whacked' by disgruntled plane passenger during in-flight row

Josh Widdicombe has revealed he was struck by an irate fellow traveller during a flight back to Britain from Greece, after resting his foot on the man's seat while waiting for the lavatory.

The 43-year-old comedian shared the mid-air drama on his Parenting Hell podcast, which he co-hosts with Rob Beckett.

The incident escalated from a minor faux pas into a prolonged standoff, with the aggrieved passenger spending more than an hour wiping down his seat with napkins.

Mr Widdicombe, who was announced earlier this year as part of the new Strictly hosting lineup, explained that the confrontation began when he perched on the armrest of an empty front-row seat and propped up his untied shoe on the adjacent seat's corner.

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"The woman at the end said, 'Excuse me, that's my husband's seat.' So I was like, 'Fine,' and put it down," Mr Widdicombe recounted.

He offered an apology, but the woman refused to accept it and attempted to continue reprimanding him.

Mr Widdicombe turned away and rejoined the queue, only for the woman's husband, whom the comedian likened in build to Stranger Things actor David Harbour, to emerge from the bathroom.

"The guy comes out. He whacks me in the back as he goes past me," Mr Widdicombe said, explaining that the man barged into him en route to fetch napkins.

The passenger then confronted him directly, demanding: "Did you put your foot on my seat?"

Despite Mr Widdicombe apologising again, the man would not let the matter rest.

The man proceeded to sit down and meticulously clean his seat using the napkins he had collected.

The cabin crew, obliged to check on the situation, went over to speak with him before returning to Mr Widdicombe's side.

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"The air steward comes back and he's like, 'God, there's one on every flight isn't there?'" Mr Widdicombe recalled.

"I obviously think, 'This is my chance to dig in.' I start laughing away with the air steward in full view. I really go for it with the charming chat."

The napkin-wiping ritual, remarkably, continued for well over sixty minutes.

Mr Widdicombe overheard two stewards discussing the passenger, with one remarking: "He's still cleaning his seat with the napkin."

A fan's intervention came at precisely the right moment, with a woman approaching Mr Widdicombe to tell him she was an admirer of his work.

"Absolutely perfect timing," he said of the encounter.

The couple's hostility, however, showed no signs of abating.

When Mr Widdicombe made a subsequent trip to the lavatory, the wife tracked him with her gaze the entire length of the cabin.

"Even as I walk down the aisle, she cranes her neck over her seat to kind of evil me. I've said sorry at this point," he noted.

As the flight neared its end, Mr Widdicombe grew anxious about a possible physical confrontation upon landing.

His fears proved unfounded, the couple bolted from the aircraft the moment the doors were opened.

Mr Widdicombe is set for a hectic autumn as he takes on one of the most prominent roles in British television.

He will front Strictly Come Dancing alongside Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe, with the trio stepping in for Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who confirmed their departures last year after more than a decade on the programme.

The comedian, who took part in the 2024 Christmas Special, expressed his delight when the appointment was made public.

"I am giddy with excitement, honoured and a little overawed to be given the chance to step into the biggest shoes in television," he said.

"I adore Emma and Jojo and can't wait to spend my weekends with them. I'll dust off the penguin costume."

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