Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have announced they are stepping down as hosts of Strictly Come Dancing at the end of the current series. The duo, who have presented the BBC show together since 2013, confirmed the news in a statement on Daly's Instagram, saying they “were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time.”
In a video message, they said: “We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream.” They thanked the BBC and the show’s team, adding: “We will cry when we say the last ‘keep dancing’ but we will continue to say it to each other. Just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza.” Their final episode will be this year’s Christmas special.
The BBC issued a statement thanking them for their “passion and dedication.” Chief Content Officer Kate Phillips said: “It’s the end of an era… They’ve both been such incredible hosts at the very heart of the show.” The departure comes amid recent scandals for Strictly, including misconduct allegations and a drug use investigation.
Potential replacements are already being discussed, including It Takes Two presenters Janette Manrara and Fleur East, as well as former host Rylan Clark. Strictly Come Dancing has been a flagship BBC entertainment show since 2004, regularly drawing millions of viewers.
