Josh Widdicombe<\/a> is just months away from making his hosting debut on Strictly Come Dancing<\/a>, however he\u2019s already lost one potential viewer after being confronted over a plane seat by a disgruntled passenger. <\/p>\n The comedian, 43, has revealed that he was \u201cwhacked in the back\u201d by a fellow plane passenger on a flight back from Greece after putting his foot on his seat. <\/p>\n Speaking on his Parenting Hell<\/a> podcast with Rob Beckett, Widdicombe said the incident occurred while he was queuing for the plane toilet. <\/p>\n \u201cYou know the front seats? There was someone on the window seat and then there were two empty seats, so I perched on the arm of the end empty seat. I looked down and my shoe was undone, so I put it up on the corner of the seat,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n \u201cThe woman at the end said, \u2018Excuse me, that\u2019s my husband\u2019s seat.\u2019 So I was like, \u2018Fine,\u2019 and put it down.\u201d <\/p>\n Widdicombe added that he apologised to the woman, but she \u201cdoesn\u2019t accept the apology\u201d and \u201ctries to continue the telling-off\u201d. <\/p>\n It was at that point that her husband \u2013 whose seat they were arguing over \u2013 returned from the bathroom, with Widdicombe saying that he had the intimidating build of Stranger Things star David Harbour. <\/p>\n \u201cI turned and queued up. The guy comes out. He whacks me in the back as he goes past me,\u201d he continued, clarifying that the man did so to get napkins to wipe down his seat. \u201cHe goes and sits down and you know like Richard Ashcroft in that \u2018Urban Hymns\u2019 video, like a footballer off the ball, he goes past me and goes, \u2018Did you put your foot on my seat?\u2019 He barged into me to get napkins to wipe down his seat.<\/p>\n \u201cI said, \u2018I said, sorry. It\u2019s all I can do.\u2019 He won\u2019t accept it. He sits down with his napkins.\u201d<\/p>\n Thankfully for Widdicombe, the air steward took his side in the matter. \u201cThe air steward obviously has to go over and check he\u2019s alright and then the air steward comes back and he\u2019s like, \u2018God, there\u2019s one on every flight isn\u2019t there?\u2019 I obviously think, \u2018This is my chance to dig in.\u2019 I start laughing away with the air steward in full view. I really go for it with the charming chat,\u201d recalled Widdicombe, laughing. \u201cAlso, at that point a woman comes up to say she\u2019s a fan of me, absolutely perfect timing. I was like, \u2018This is glorious.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n The couple wouldn\u2019t drop the matter however, with Widdicombe adding that the woman was \u201cstill staring\u201d at him when he left the toilet. \u201cEven as I walk down the aisle, she cranes her neck over her seat to kind of evil me. I\u2019ve said sorry at this point,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n \u201cAn hour later, I hear two air stewards talking and one of them goes, \u2018He\u2019s still cleaning his seat with the napkin.\u2019 Everyone goes, \u2018It\u2019s been an hour!\u2019 It\u2019s mad. Obviously he might be germaphobic or OCD \u2013 so let\u2019s be honest, an air conditioned plane with 200 people is not ideal. It was so weird.\u201d<\/p>\n While the comedian feared that he may be physically confronted by the indignant passenger upon landing, Widdicombe saw him and his wife dash off the aircraft as soon as the doors opened. <\/p>\n It\u2019s set to be a busy autumn for Widdicombe<\/a>, who is one of three new hosts of Strictly Come Dancing \u2013 with the comic joining Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe. The trio are replacing Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly, who announced last year that they would be stepping down after over a decade on the show. <\/p>\n \u201cI am giddy with excitement, honoured and a little overawed to be given the chance to step into the biggest shoes in television,\u201d he said when his role was announced<\/a>, having previously competed in the 2024 Christmas Special. \u201cI adore Emma and Jojo and can\u2019t wait to spend my weekends with them. I\u2019ll dust off the penguin costume.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Josh](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-23-at-09-07-16.png\")
Josh Widdicombe on the ‘Parenting Hell’ podcast (Instagram: Parenting Hell)<\/p>\n![\"Josh](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2224650763...jpeg\")
Josh Widdicombe and Rob Beckett host their ‘Parenting Hell’ podcast together (Getty)<\/p>\n