The glittering world of Strictly Come Dancing is set for its biggest shake-up in over a decade as presenting duo Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have announced they will be leaving the hit BBC show after the current series.
The End of an Era
In a joint statement that has sent shockwaves through the Strictly community, the beloved presenters confirmed they would be departing together. "We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream," they stated. "We were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time."
The pair, who have fronted the show together for more than ten years, expressed their gratitude to the BBC and everyone involved in the production. They emotionally added: "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."
Behind the Scenes with Claudia
Recent winners Dianne Buswell and Chris McCausland have shed light on a side of Claudia Winkleman that viewers rarely see. Speaking on their Winning Isn't Everything podcast, the dancing champions revealed Claudia's unique off-camera habits.
Chris McCausland, who made history as the show's first blind contestant, explained: "Claudia very rarely comments on what she sees, she doesn't really give an opinion when she's on camera. She comments on how they think it went and what the judges have said, not her own opinion."
He then revealed her amusing tactic: "She says it off-camera before shoving a chocolate pretzel into your mouth so you can't answer back."
Dianne Buswell laughed in agreement, adding: "It's so true, yes she does! And to be honest, she doesn't really know what she's looking for anyway, and half the time when she's up there she's not watching the dance, she's looking at her notes."
The Replacement Race Begins
Following the announcement, speculation has mounted about who might replace the iconic presenting duo. Several well-known names have emerged as frontrunners, including:
- Bradley Walsh
- Holly Willoughby
- Alex Jones
- Zoe Ball
A source told The Sun that discussions are "moving in a really positive direction" with Bradley Walsh and Alex Jones, who are "both favourites to take over." The insider added that "they have been in the BBC's sights for some time."
Interestingly, both Chris and Dianne have thrown their hats in the ring for the presenting roles. Chris joked about his suitability, saying: "So, I'd make an amazing Claudia, wouldn't I?" while Dianne expressed interest in Tess's role, noting: "I feel like I'm very empathetic, and if it went wrong I'd probably tell them. I'd say, 'Well that was awkward, wasn't it?'"
The departure marks the end of an era for Strictly Come Dancing, with Tess having presented since the show began alongside the late Bruce Forsyth before being joined by Claudia, who previously hosted Strictly: It Takes Two. For now, the duo will continue presenting the remainder of the current series as nine dancing couples battle for the Glitterball trophy.
