Tess Daly ‘stepped down from Strictly Come Dancing to prioritise spending more time with her family’

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Tess Daly has reportedly left her job as the host of Strictly Come Dancing so she can focus on spending more time with her family.

I’m so sad to hear that our amazing presenter, who’s 56, is leaving the show! It feels like the end of an era, especially since Claudia Winkleman – who I adore – is also moving on from the dancing competition. They were such a fantastic duo, and I’m going to miss them both terribly.

The beloved pair became the first women to co-host a show for the BBC, but have announced that this season will be their last. They previously agreed to leave the show together whenever the time felt right.

She surprised everyone earlier this week by announcing her departure after 21 years with the show.

A source says the actress decided to leave the BBC show to spend more time with her family – her husband, and her daughters, Phoebe, 21, and Amber, 16.

Only eight weeks before she decided to leave, her husband, Vernon, 51, shared that he makes sure to watch every episode just to check on her well-being.

He explained that he has the dance show playing wherever he is, even if he is working. 

Vernon, 51, shared that he usually stays in when ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ is on, wanting to be sure everything is running smoothly. When he is working, he makes sure to have the show playing nearby, even while on stage.

A source told The Mirror that Strictly Come Dancing is incredibly fast-paced and chaotic, leaving the contestants with limited time to connect.

Vernon understands the situation, and he knows it’s been difficult for Tess. She’s been a part of ‘Strictly’ for a long time, but it’s been tough balancing work with wanting to spend more time with her family – a struggle many women face.

They explained that Tess is taking a short break from work to allow her and Vernon to spend more quality time together as a couple.

It’s claimed that the move is ‘going to be very positive for them as a couple’.

Daily Mail has reached out to Tess’ representative for comment. 

The show’s co-hosts announced on Instagram that they’ll be leaving together.

You can catch them together one last time on the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special, which will be broadcast on December 25th.

The news of Claudia and Tess leaving after series 23 has surprised many, and some are wondering if their exit suggests problems with the show itself.

Claudia addressed the camera to explain their departure from Strictly, starting by saying, ‘We wanted you to hear about this directly from us, as you may have already heard some rumors.’

Tess announced that after 21 fantastic years on Strictly, they’ve decided it’s time to move on and let someone new take over.

“That baton is so sparkly!” Claudia chuckled, then turned to her friend and fellow actor, saying, “You’ve been with me from the start.”

Tess said, indicating Claudia, ‘I worked with Bruce Forsyth over twenty years ago, but I’ve spent much more time working with you.’

I can’t believe how long we’ve been following this – it feels like forever! We started when our kids were babies, and now they’re all grown up. Honestly, we’ve loved every single moment and wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Claudia added that they feel incredibly fortunate to have been a part of such a wonderful show, and wanted to express their gratitude to the entire Strictly team, who are the ones who truly make it special.

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2025-11-01 23:34