Alan Carr has spoken out about rumours he could become the next host of Strictly Come Dancing, following the surprise announcement that Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will step down after the Christmas special. The comedian, 49, has been tipped as a frontrunner after winning Celebrity Traitors, which drew 12 million viewers.
In an interview with The Mirror, Carr said: 'My name is in the hat. What an honour. It’s a bit like when my name got bandied about for Britain’s Got Talent and Great British Bake Off - I’m always on the periphery.' He added that he has received an influx of job offers since his Celebrity Traitors victory, but has not been directly approached about the Strictly role.
Carr expressed caution about taking on the live show, saying: 'People are so passionate about it and you saw me sweating in the castle when I was a Traitor, imagine me doing live telly with how many million people watching. I just don’t want to ruin it for people.'
Daly and Winkleman made history as the BBC's first female presenting duo, but announced they would leave together after 21 years. Their final appearance will be on the Strictly Christmas Special on December 25. Other names in the running include Zoe Ball, Holly Willoughby, Stacey Dooley, Kevin Clifton, Roman Kemp, Janette Manara, and Alex Scott.
Zoe Ball is currently the 2-1 favourite with Coral Bookmakers, partly due to her experience hosting the spin-off show It Takes Two. Carr's semi-autobiographical series Changing Ends, which stars Oliver Savell as a young Alan, has aired two series since launching in June 2023.
