Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly to leave Strictly after two decades of dazzling TV magic

After 21 years of sequins, smiles, and Saturday night sparkle, Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly have announced they are stepping down as co-hosts of Strictly Come Dancing.

In a joint statement shared on Instagram, the pair confirmed that this season will be their final outing as hosts of the BBC’s most beloved entertainment show. “There have been some rumblings,” Winkleman wrote. “And we want you to hear this from us.”

Daly added: “We have some news. After 21 wonderfully joyful years on Strictly, we have decided that the time is right to step aside and pass over the baton.”

“The very sparkly baton!” Winkleman quipped.

Together, the duo thanked the BBC and the entire production team, promising to enjoy every last moment of their final series. “We were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time,” they said. “We will cry when we say our last ‘Keep dancing!’ but we’ll keep saying it to each other, probably in tracksuit bottoms at home, holding pizza.”

Winkleman, who joined the show permanently in 2014 after co-hosting It Takes Two and the Sunday results programme, called Strictly “the greatest relationship of my career.” She added: “It’s been a magical, glittery, fake-tanned train and it’s been a privilege to be a tiny part of it. I’ve always believed it’s best to leave a party before you’re fully ready to go. I know the new hosts will be magnificent. As for Tess — I’m so lucky I got to stand next to you. You’re funny, kind, whip-smart and a true friend. I love you.”

Daly has fronted the dance contest since its launch in 2004, originally alongside the late Bruce Forsyth. Her partnership with Winkleman marked a milestone for British television when the BBC appointed two women to host a major primetime show. Earlier this year, Daly was awarded an MBE for her services to broadcasting.

The duo’s exit marks the end of an era for Strictly Come Dancing — and comes at a time when the show is battling to recover from a series of damaging scandals.

In 2024, Strictly was rocked by a misconduct and bullying investigation that led to the departures of professional dancers Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima. Di Prima later admitted kicking his celebrity partner, Zara McDermott, while the BBC apologised to actress Amanda Abbington after complaints of verbal bullying and harassment against Pernice were upheld.

Hopes that the 2025 season would bring calm were dashed in August when new allegations surfaced. The BBC confirmed it was investigating claims of cocaine use by two of the show’s stars, followed weeks later by the arrest of another unnamed male star in his 30s on suspicion of rape and non-consensual image abuse. The broadcaster clarified that the man was not involved in the current series, but the damage to Strictly’s reputation was clear.

For millions of fans, Winkleman and Daly have been the show’s reassuring constants through every controversy, costume malfunction, and confetti explosion. Their chemistry, warmth, and quick wit helped Strictly become a national institution — one that united families around the television every autumn weekend.

Now, for the first time in over two decades, the ballroom faces an uncertain future. The BBC has yet to comment on potential replacements, but industry speculation is already swirling. Whoever inherits the hosting mantle will have enormous shoes — and stilettos — to fill.As Strictly Come Dancing waltzes toward the end of its 23rd series, one era is closing in glittering style. When Claudia and Tess take their final bow later this year, it won’t just be another Saturday night farewell — it will be the end of one of British television’s most enduring double acts.