Tess Daly once stated that she could "never leave" Strictly Come Dancing. The presenter, 57, left fans devastated last year when she announced she was leaving her role after 21 years. Tess was one of the original presenters of Strictly alongside Sir Bruce Forsyth, with the pair hosting the BBC competition together until his departure in 2014. Claudia Winkleman stepped in to replace Bruce, presenting alongside Tess until they left together at the end of 2025.
Past comments about the show
Back in 2012, Tess opened up about her role on the show, admitting she could never be lured away for money. "It's genuinely never about the money for me," she told Metro at the time. "To have money is a bonus in life and affords you luxuries."
Tess added: "But Strictly is a job that I love and could never leave. It's a part of my life."
Departure announcement
In October 2025, after the series had kicked off, Tess and Claudia, 54, released a joint statement announcing their departure. "We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream," they said. "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."
The pair added: "We will cry when we say our last 'keep dancing' but we will continue to say it to each other. Just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza."
New presenting trio
After extensive chemistry tests, the BBC replaced Tess and Claudia with Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe, marking the first time the show has ever been fronted by a trio. While many believe Emma, 50, has settled into the role most naturally, former professional Johannes and comedian Josh have faced greater criticism.
However, body language expert Judi James believes Johannes, 39, is the presenter taking centre stage, after analysing his behaviour throughout last week's main show. "Josh is no longer even 'Joshie' to Johannes anymore, and Johannes is clearly a man who can spot an opportunity and rise to fill it," Judi told the Daily Express on behalf of Paddy Power Bingo.
"There's a sense that he at least is cleverly digging into his job and building it to make the most of it as a showcase for his own individual style. Johannes and Emma look relaxed and complimentary together and Johannes even appears to be quietly taking over a leadership role on the show."
"When the three presenters moved off the dancefloor for the arrival of the contestants, it was Johannes extending a very gracious arm of steering and hosting to sweep Emma and Josh off into the shadows. This non-verbal tell was a huge clue about the current pecking order of the presenters."
