BBC Radio 2 presenter Vernon Kay has expressed his frustration over the relentless rumours concerning who will take over from his wife, Tess Daly, and Claudia Winkleman as hosts of Strictly Come Dancing.
The Hosts' Big Announcement
Last month, the iconic presenting duo, who have fronted the show for 12 years, announced they would be handing over the "sparkly baton" to new faces. This revelation immediately sparked a flurry of speculation across media outlets and fan forums about their potential successors.
Names such as Holly Willoughby, Paddy McGuinness, Zoe Ball, and Alex Jones have been tossed into the ring. More recently, this year's contestant, the drag queen La Voix, was also suggested, despite having to leave the competition due to an injury sustained in rehearsals with professional dancer Aljaž Škorjanec.
Vernon's On-Air Rant
During his BBC Radio 2 show, Vernon Kay did not hold back when discussing the topic with co-host Scott Mills. He branded the ongoing conjecture as "hilarious" and questioned the logic behind it.
"Let me just say this for the record," Vernon stated emphatically. "Do you honestly think that the people at Strictly Come Dancing mid-series are going to have a roundtable about who is going to host it next year?" Scott Mills agreed that this was highly unlikely.
Vernon continued his rant, urging for more common sense, saying, "Sometimes common sense when you put your fingers to the keyboard makes a big difference." He pointed out that the production team is currently focused on the present series and an upcoming Christmas special, exclaiming, "Just behave yourselves! Wind your necks in, it does my head in."
A Joking Suggestion and Official Word
When probed by Scott Mills on whether he himself could be the replacement, Vernon jokingly proposed a solution: "I tell you who it is, it's me and Rylan [Clark]. There you go, done, simple."
Despite the widespread public and media speculation, an official from the BBC has confirmed that no decisions are imminent. Kate Phillips, the BBC's Chief Content Officer, recently stated on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast that the production team's current priority is delivering the ongoing series.
"We haven't got time at the moment to start doing any screen tests or chemistry testing," she clarified. "I don't think we'll really be looking at it until the New Year because we want to make sure we deliver a great Strictly series."
Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturday at 6.35pm on BBC One.
