Ellie Taylor, 42, is reportedly set to take over as host of Strictly Come Dancing spin-off It Takes Two, with the comedian said to have agreed a deal with BBC producers.
The former Strictly contestant, who finished seventh in the 2022 series, is understood to be stepping into the role after the reported departures of previous hosts Janette Manrara and Fleur East. Taylor is best known for her stand-up career, panel show appearances on Mock the Week and roles in comedy series including Apple TV's Ted Lasso.
Source praises Taylor's popularity
A source told The Sun: "Ellie was hugely popular with viewers when she appeared as a contestant on Strictly in 2022, and her infectious personality was also a hit with the senior production team. She very much featured in the discussions when they were looking to replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman on the main show, and although she didn't get that job, she remained in the executive team's thoughts. They were very keen to get her on It Takes Two which they felt was too boring and needed a major revamp. So she's been hired for the It Takes Two hosting job."
When approached for comment, a Strictly Spokesperson told Reach: "We don't comment on speculation."
New presenting lineup
During her time on Strictly, Taylor was partnered with Johannes Radebe, who has been confirmed as one of the new hosts of the main show. Emma Willis and comedian Josh Widdicombe have also landed presenting roles on the programme.
Tess and Claudia exit
The news comes after long-standing hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly decided to step down last year. The pair confirmed their departure on Instagram in a joint statement.
They wrote: "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. We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series and we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to every single person who works on the show. They're the most brilliant team and we'll miss them every day. 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. Tess & Claud."
Strictly Come Dancing will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer in September 2026.
