Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman Announce Departure From Strictly Come Dancing After 21 Years
After more than two decades of glitz, sequins, and Saturday night sparkle, Strictly Come Dancing hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have announced they’ll be stepping down at the end of this year’s series.
The duo shared the emotional news on Instagram, confirming that they’ll be leaving the show together. In a joint statement, they said: “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, who’s fronted the show since it launched in 2004, reflected on the huge part Strictly has played in her life. “After 21 unforgettable years, the time has come to say goodbye to Strictly Come Dancing,” she wrote. “Strictly has been more than just a television programme. It’s felt like having a third child, a second family, and a huge part of my life since that very first show back in 2004. I knew then it was something special, but I could never have imagined the magic it would bring.”
She also paid tribute to her late co-host Sir Bruce Forsyth, who presented the show with her until 2013 before he passed away in 2017. “Brucie set the tone for everything that Strictly became: warmth, wit, connection, and pure showbiz magic,” she said, thanking the entire team behind the show and the viewers who have tuned in for over two decades. “You are the heart of this show, and I feel so lucky to have shared it with you.”
Claudia, who joined Tess as main co-host in 2014 after years presenting It Takes Two, called the experience “the greatest relationship of my career.” She shared fond memories, from Len Goodman’s dance lessons to countless laughs with Tess. “Strictly is a magical, glittery, fake tanned train and it’s been a privilege to be a tiny part of it,” she said, adding that it felt right to leave now. “As for Tess – I’m so so lucky I got to stand next to you. You’re funny, kind, whip smart and a true friend and I love you.”
The pair promised fans they’ll make the most of their final season before handing over the glitter ball baton.
