Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman to present Strictly for last time

Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will make their last-ever appearance on Strictly Come Dancing on Christmas Day, more than a decade after they began presenting the show together.

The pair will oversee the Strictly Christmas Special, which airs on BBC One at 17:30 and will see six couples battle it out under the glitterball.

Daly and Winkleman shocked fans in October by announcing they would be stepping down at the end of the current series.

Much attention has turned to who may replace them, with Zoe Ball, Rylan, Janette Manrara, Alan Carr and Holly Willoughby among the names being speculated upon.

After a rocky few years for the show, some have also been wondering what comes next for the competition.

But entertainment journalist Emma Bullimore says many people will still want the job.

“Make no mistake, this is still a huge gig on British TV,” she told BBC News. “Not many shows bring families together in the way Strictly does.”

For many, Daly and Winkleman are the faces of Strictly.

Daly has presented since the first series 21 years ago, and started alongside Sir Bruce Forsyth. Winkleman joined in 2014, having hosted Strictly’s sister show It Takes Two since 2004.

The pair became prime-time Saturday night TV’s first female presenting duo.

Their revelation that they were stepping down sparked a huge reaction online and also shocked contestants, with stars on the latest series telling me “no one saw it coming”.

In a joint statement on Instagram in October, the pair said hosting the show had been “an absolute dream”.

“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,” the pair added.

They did not give any reason for their decision to leave, simply saying they were “always going to leave together and now feels like the right time”.

The BBC’s chief content officer, Kate Phillips, called it “the end of an era”.

“They’ve both been such incredible hosts at the very heart of the show, their passion and dedication has gone above and beyond,” she said at the time.

There have been sparkle, style and a whole host of memorable moments over the years that Daly and Winkleman have been at the helm.

During the semi-final of this year’s Strictly, a special package of their best bits working on the show was played.

The montage took in moments from the early years to more recent memories, as well as interviews with the judges.

Clips included Daly and Winkleman telling Sir Bruce they hoped they would not “let him down”, Daly “sawing” through Winkleman in a magic trick and Winkleman dressing up as a ghost only to be told by Daly “Halloween is next week”.

The pair were each awarded their own unique golden glitterball trophy after the video played.

They also completed a 24-hour danceathon in 2019 for Comic Relief, raising more than £1m by dancing non-stop for 24 hours and five minutes.

In 2024, Strictly’s 20th anniversary year, the pair picked up the entertainment programme gong at the Bafta TV Awards.

Earlier this year, Winkleman – who also presents The Traitors – and Daly were made Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by King Charles III at investiture ceremonies at Windsor Castle, for services to broadcasting.

Last Saturday, it was an emotional night in the ballroom, as Winkleman and Daly hosted the Strictly final for the last time – with the Queen among those paying tribute to the long-running hosts.

In a message read out by judge Craig Revel Horwood, Queen Camilla said their “warmth, compassion and sheer happiness” had been at the heart of the show’s success, adding: “I think I speak for everyone when I say you have been utterly fab-u-lous.”

The current Strictly series, which began in September, was seen in media circles as something of a reboot for the long-running hit BBC show.

It follows last year’s controversies relating to the behaviour of some professional dancers, and in August, the launch of a BBC investigation into alleged drug use by two of the show’s stars, and an unnamed star being arrested on suspicion of rape (it is understood the development was not related to the current series).

BBC bosses were keen for fans and the media to return to talking about the show itself.

But the scandals have not stopped. In October, a second unnamed star from the show was arrested on suspicion of rape. That development, which was reported in November, is also understood not to be linked to the current series.

Bullimore says it is “difficult to know” whether the various scandals played into Daly and Winkleman’s decision to leave.

But she also said despite the controversies, hosting it would remain “very attractive” to any presenter.

There has been speculation that the format might be paused for a year, to reset after the scandals. But Bullimore said she did not think that was likely.

“Strictly is still really, really important for the BBC,” she said.

“You would need to find something to fill that gap in the schedules. And that’s a hard thing to do.”

Culture journalist Natalie Jamieson said she would miss the show if it took a break.

“Strictly’s a cross-generational watch in my household – my daughter messages her grandma every week as the dances are happening – and I’d be sad if that cycle was disrupted for a year,” she said.

But she added that if it was rested, even only for a year, “it could also open up opportunities to showcase other inspirational and aspirational aspects of culture and the arts through a potentially new TV show format, and that would be exciting”.

The BBC has said plans for what the show will look like in 2026 will be revealed in due course.

Six celebrities are waltzing into the ballroom wonderland on Thursday, for the Strictly Christmas Special. They are:

• Scarlett Moffatt – Presenter and TV personality
• Melanie Blatt – Singer and cook
• Jodie Ounsley aka Fury – Rugby player, athlete, broadcaster, and advocate for the deaf community
• Nicholas Bailey – Actor
• Babatunde Aléshé – Comedian, actor and podcaster
• Brian McFadden – Singer-songwriter

There will be group dances, live music and plenty more, with songs on the list including It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams, and The Pussycat Dolls’ version of Santa Baby.

Alongside hosts Daly and Winkleman, judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke will all be on hand – before the studio audience decides who wins.

The Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special is on BBC One and iPlayer at 17:30 on Christmas Day