Strictly Come Dancing has reportedly assembled a 10-strong list of showbiz contenders to replace Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly.
The hosting duo shocked the TV-watching nation when they announced that this 2025 series of the show would be their last at the helm.
After the double act shared a short clip with the news on their social media accounts, the BBC released their own statement heaping praise on their Strictly tenure.
The co-hosts referenced how much the show had an impact on their lives in their video statement, saying they both joined when their children were still small.
The caption to their video clip read: ‘We have loved working as a duo, and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream.
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‘We were always going to leave together, and now feels like the right time.’
‘I can’t quite believe I’m saying this, but it’s the end of an era with Tess and Claudia’s decision to bid farewell to the Strictly ballroom,’ said Kate Phillips, Chief Content Officer for the BBC, in response.
‘They’ve both been such incredible hosts at the very heart of the show, their passion and dedication has gone above and beyond.’
A TV insider has now told The Sun that the BBC is undertaking the ‘mammoth task’ of replacing the pair and has drawn up a shortlist of ten potential presenters.
The frontrunners are said to be Bradley Walsh, Alex Jones and Alan Carr, with a reported chemistry day in the offing to test out possible pairings.
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The source told the publication: ‘They will go to a studio and be put into different pairs to see who works together best.
‘It could be two women or two men paired, or a mix. They will ultimately choose whoever has the best chemistry in each partnership.’
The other names said to be on the shortlist are Rylan Clark, Rob Rinder, Zoe Ball and Holly Willoughby, all of whom will reportedly be part of this test to find the right new fit.
The ten-point list is rounded out with Amanda Holden, Alison Hammond and Angela Scanlon.
The full reported Strictly shortlist
- Bradley Walsh
- Alex Jones
- Alan Carr
- Rylan Clark
- Rob Rinder
- Zoe Ball
- Holly Willoughby
- Amanda Holden
- Alison Hammond
- Angela Scanlon
The source added: ‘Strictly bosses want to mix things up and see if there is a partnership within the ten that hasn’t been tried out before and is perfect.
‘Ultimately, no one is bigger than the show so whichever lucky pair land the jobs will be the ones who the BBC think will be the perfect accompaniment to the series.’
The whittled-down list has been met with mixed results from Strictly fans online, with @loverofthings25 labelling them ‘some terrible choices’ on a dedicated Reddit thread.
@CornetOh said that the best choices were Angela Scanlon, Zoe Ball and Alex Jones, adding: ‘Bradley Walsh would be a vibe shift but I do like him, and he’s a very experienced presenter, so I could maybe get behind it.’
Metro contacted the BBC, but they declined to comment.
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