Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have announced they are leaving Strictly Come Dancing at the end of this year's series. The pair, who have hosted the show together for 15 years, said in an Instagram post: 'We have loved working as a duo, and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream. We were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time.'
Winkleman's departure was widely expected given her success with The Traitors, while Daly's exit is seen as a greater loss. She has been the steadying presence on the show since its revamp in 2004, navigating changes to the judging panel, the deaths of Bruce Forsyth and Len Goodman, and various scandals.
The BBC now faces the task of finding replacements. Among the frontrunners are former contestants and presenters from spin-off show It Takes Two. Rylan Clark, who co-hosts It Takes Two, is considered a strong candidate, alongside Fleur East. Other possibilities include Angela Scanlon, Gemma Atkinson, and Bill Bailey, who won the show in 2020.
Another option is to recruit from the pool of professional dancers who have moved into presenting. Oti Mabuse, a two-time winner, has impressed with her own ITV breakfast show. Anton Du Beke, a long-time professional and now a judge, is also in the running, though his previous attempts to position himself as Forsyth's successor may count against him.
Whoever takes over will have a tough act to follow. Daly and Winkleman have been an unshakeable double act, and their departure marks the end of an era for the beloved BBC show.
