Who will replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman on Strictly? Front runners to host the show are revealed after their departure announcement

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Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have just announced they’re leaving Strictly Come Dancing, and people are already guessing who will take their place.

The show’s current hosts, who have worked together since 2014, shared a heartfelt video on social media Thursday announcing they are leaving the show.

People are already suggesting potential replacements for the current hosts, with Zoe Ball, Holly Willoughby, Stacey Dooley, and Kevin Clifton as some of the leading candidates.

Coral Bookmakers is predicting Zoe will likely replace Tess and Claudia on the show, making her the current frontrunner with 2-1 odds.

After the surprising news, Holly and Roman Kemp quickly became frontrunners to potentially host the show, according to Casino Beats.

Janette Manara, a former professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing, is a strong contender to host the show next year, with odds at 3-1. Fleur East is also a possibility at 4-1, and Rylan Clark is currently at 5-1.

According to John Hill from Coral, Zoe Ball is very familiar with the ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ world, making her the leading contender to take over from Tess Daly as host next year.

Janette Manara and Fleur East are currently among the frontrunners, and Rylan Clark is also gaining some early attention from bettors.

Casino Beats reports that Holly is the current favorite at 2-1 odds, with radio and TV presenter Roman Kemp a close second at 3-1.

Alex Scott, known for Football Focus and The One Show, is also in contention at 4-1.

Stacey Solomon, Maya Jama, Emma Willis, and AJ Odudu are all seen as possible, though less likely, candidates.

Ollie Ring from Casino Beats commented that with Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly leaving Strictly Come Dancing, it’s the end of a significant chapter for the show, and everyone is now eagerly discussing potential replacements.

Holly Willoughby is currently the favorite to win at 2/1, closely followed by Roman Kemp at 3/1. Other popular contenders include Fleur East and Janette Manrara, both of whom have previous experience with the show, at 5/1 and 6/1 respectively. Alex Scott is also considered a strong possibility at 4/1.

‘Ultimately, the BBC’s next choice could shape the next decade of Strictly.’

Spin Genie, a provider of Megaways Slots, believes Kayley Corneliu, Stacey, and Kevin are the frontrunners to land the job.

As a lifestyle expert, I’m keeping a close eye on who might be taking over the hosting role, and right now, all signs point to Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton! The bookmakers seem to agree, with both of them as the frontrunners at 2/1 odds. They’re definitely the ones to watch!

Ever since their popular victory in 2018, the duo has stayed involved with the show. Now, through their weekly reviews on Substack, they expertly capture the excitement of this year’s series while staying relatable to Strictly fans.

Claudia, 53, known for hosting BBC’s The Traitors and Celebrity Traitors, and Tess, 56, were shown sitting together in a video announcing they were leaving the show.

Hey everyone, I wanted to address something that’s been circulating. We wanted you to hear it directly from us, so we’re sharing this information now.

Tess announced that after 21 fantastic years on Strictly, they’ve decided it’s time to leave 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 responded, indicating Claudia, ‘I worked with Bruce, the wonderful Bruce Forsyth, over twenty years ago, but I’ve spent a lot more time working with you.’

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It’s been a significant part of our lives, starting when our children were very young, and now that they’re grown, we truly appreciate all the memories we’ve made.

Claudia added that they felt incredibly fortunate to have been involved in such a wonderful show, and expressed their gratitude to the entire Strictly team, emphasizing that the people behind the scenes are what truly make it special.

We really enjoyed working together, and hosting Strictly was a wonderful experience for us.

We always planned to finish this journey together, and it feels like the perfect moment. We’re excited to enjoy the rest of this incredible series, and we want to express our huge gratitude to the BBC and everyone who contributes to the show.

This team is incredibly talented, and we’re going to miss them dearly. It will be hard to say goodbye, but we’ll always encourage each other to keep going.

‘Just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza.’

Tess announced that after 21 amazing years, she’s leaving Strictly Come Dancing.

‘It’s hard to put it into words what this show has meant to me, so here goes…

Strictly Come Dancing has been a massive part of my life since it began in 2004 – it’s felt like raising a third child and being part of a second family. It’s been so much more than just a TV show.

‘I knew then it was something special, but I could never have imagined the magic it would bring. 

Strictly has always been a show about happiness, fun, and uniting people, and I’m incredibly proud to have contributed to something that brings so much joy to so many viewers.

I’ve always been incredibly impressed by our amazing professional dancers, our wonderful judges, and everyone who’s participated as a celebrity.

I truly love our amazing team – every single person involved in Strictly has worked incredibly hard to create the show we all enjoy.

I’m so grateful for all the fun times, the wonderful friendships, and the amazing memories we’ve shared over the years. You’ve brought so much joy into my life, and I’ll cherish that forever. I’m going to miss you all dearly.

To all of you watching, we want to express our deepest gratitude. Thank you for letting us be a part of your lives for the past twenty years and more.

My dearest Claud, it’s been such a wonderful experience sharing this journey with you. You’re truly special, and I’ll always cherish our laughs, the excitement of performing live, and all the fun we had behind the scenes.

I’ll always love glitter, sequins, and the fun of Saturday nights, so I’m not giving those up! While Strictly will always be incredibly special to me, I feel it’s the right moment to step down and let someone else take over.

Claudia also shared photos of her and Tess working behind the scenes, celebrating her time on the show and joining in the tributes.

It’s hard to describe how much Strictly Come Dancing has meant to me. It’s been the most important professional experience of my career.

I’ve cherished working on ‘It Takes Two’ since 2004, and I’m forever grateful for the experience.

I’ll always remember Len Goodman attempting to explain what a ‘cucaracha’ is – I’m still not sure what it means! It was also a real pleasure and honor to work with Tess, from being on the results show to eventually co-hosting the Saturday night episodes.

Strictly Come Dancing is a wonderfully over-the-top and glamorous show, and I’ve been so happy to have been a small part of it.

Oh my gosh, everything about it was just…perfect! The dancers were incredible, seriously breathtaking. And the band? Forget about it! But it wasn’t just them – the hair, the makeup, the costumes…every single detail was flawless. Honestly, the whole production crew and everyone behind the scenes? They’re all absolute geniuses! I’m completely obsessed!

I’ve always thought it’s best to leave a party while you’re still enjoying yourself, and I’m sure the new hosts will be fantastic. I’m excited to see them do great things with Strictly!

I feel incredibly lucky to have met and spent time with Tess. She’s hilarious, genuinely kind, incredibly intelligent, and a wonderful friend – I truly cherish our connection.

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2025-10-23 13:35