Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly have announced they will step down as hosts of Strictly Come Dancing at the end of the current series. The duo revealed the news in a joint Instagram post, stating they felt the time was right to pass the baton after 21 years.
Daly has hosted the show since 2004, initially alongside Bruce Forsyth, while Winkleman joined as co-host in 2014 after previously presenting the companion show Strictly: It Takes Two. The pair said they would continue to host until the end of series 23, describing their time on the programme as an 'absolute dream'.
The departure comes amid a turbulent period for the BBC dance contest, which has faced multiple scandals. In 2024, professional dancers Giovanni Pernice and Graziano di Prima left following a misconduct investigation, with di Prima admitting to kicking his partner Zara McDermott. The BBC also apologised to former contestant Amanda Abbington after upholding complaints of verbal bullying against Pernice.
More recently, the BBC launched an investigation into alleged cocaine use by two stars, and a separate arrest of a male star on suspicion of rape and non-consensual intimate image abuse was reported. The BBC confirmed the arrested individual was not involved in the current series.
The BBC has not yet commented on potential replacements for Winkleman and Daly. The presenters expressed gratitude to the show's team and said they would continue to say 'Keep dancing!' to each other, even after stepping away.
