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5 hours ago
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There are the ravens leaving the Tower of London, and then we have Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman leaving Strictly. For the past 15 years, Daly and Winkleman have been an unshakeable double act, effortlessly holding the foundations of Strictly together. And now it’s over.
“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,” the pair announced on Instagram this morning, signalling that they are due to walk away from the series at the end of this year’s run. That sound you just heard was Anton Du Beke’s trousers creaking in anticipation, but more on that soon.
Really, it was inevitable that Winkleman would want to retire from Strictly. Thanks to the full-speed juggernaut of The Traitors, the woman essentially now has all of television at her fingertips. She has the luxury of being able to pick and choose work, and you have to assume she’s going to be thrilled about having her weekends back.
But the loss of Daly is even more profound. She has been the steadying face of the show since its Strictly Ballroom-inspired revamp in 2004. Despite never visibly ageing, she has had a long couple of decades: she has navigated endless changes to the judging lineup, the deaths of Bruce Forsyth and Len Goodman, and a barrage of scandals.
And she has acquitted herself perfectly. Her role was set in stone from the outset, to be the smiling face of professionalism next to the wayward free-association of her co-host, whether that be the occasional confusion of Forsyth or the avant-garde conversational jazz stylings of Winkleman. More than anything, Daly was the woman who kept the show on the road, and it will be harder than expected to replace her.
But replace her they will, because Strictly Come Dancing is the sort of deathless franchise that will not be put out to pasture until it has entirely run out of puff. The question is, who should the BBC pick as the next hosts? Luckily, it isn’t wanting for contenders. Here’s who must be in the mix.
Former contestants
One of the strengths of Strictly is that, over the past 21 years, just about every famous face in the country has appeared on it. Surely the sensible thing to do would be to recruit from this bank of familiars? Now we can prune the pack a little. Some former Strictly contestants – Lynda Bellingham and Gary Rhodes, for instance – have died, while others, such as Rose Ayling‑Ellis, have since grown so successful that returning to Strictly would be a clear demotion.
But that still leaves a valuable bank of talent. Angela Scanlon, from 2023, would be a perfect fit. As would Gemma Atkinson, who was a runner-up in 2017. Bill Bailey, who won in 2020, would be a great shout. Of the current intake, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey – “Nitro” from Gladiators – seems to have a flair for presenting. Or why not coax Natasha Kaplinsky back?
Perhaps the most sensible option would be to follow in Winkleman’s footsteps and hire from Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two. This could mean Rylan Clark or, if they wanted to pick someone who has also danced on the main show, Fleur East. Whoever they pick, though, expect this to be the BBC’s first tactic.
Former dancers
This is a far riskier approach, because an ability to dance does not automatically translate to being able to present live television. As much as the professionals might dazzle during their few minutes on screen a week, presenting requires an entirely different skill set. However, that isn’t to say that some haven’t already made the leap. Most notably, there is Oti Mabuse, who danced on the show for seven years and won twice. Since leaving the show, Oti has blossomed into a real talent, including presenting her own Saturday Morning breakfast show on ITV. Could she return, perhaps paired with her old partner, Bill Bailey? Potentially.
Also – fine, yes – let’s consider Anton Du Beke. True, he might have blown his chance by positioning himself so vigorously as the successor to Bruce Forsyth (even down to adopting some of his mannerisms) that he runs the risk of being seen as yesterday’s man. But here is a guy who not only lives and bleeds Strictly, but was also prepared to present Hole in the Wall as a kind of joyless training experience. Realistically, Strictly is far closer to its end than it is to its beginning, so it hasn’t got much to lose by giving him a shot.
The go-tos
Stephen Mulhern and Alison Hammond: let’s include them purely because it is 2025, and the television industry seems to be contractually stipulated to hire either one or both of them for any available vacancy. Hopefully this will not happen, though, because Strictly has been around the block enough to be able to recruit from within. But even this is no guarantee of success. The truth is that regardless of who gets the job, without Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman it will feel as though someone has set the glitterball to half speed.
