Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly hosted tonight’s episode of Strictly Come Dancing, after announcing that they will be leaving the show at the end of this series.
The pair broke the news on Thursday as they shared a video statement on Instagram and addressed their decision at the start of Saturday night’s show.
Winkleman said: “We want to thank you for your beautiful messages. We've got another eight weeks but it's not about us. It's about this incredible show and a Strictly champion to crown.”
“We cannot wait to spend the rest of the series with you, our incredible couples and these four,” Daly added, as she introduced the judges.
Week five’s live show saw the 11 remaining couples take part in Icons Week, paying tribute to their favourite stars from the music world.
Vicky Pattison transformed into a fellow Geordie for her Couple’s Choice routine set to Cheryl’s “Fight For This Love” - and the Girls Aloud star sent in a special video message to mark the occasion.
Pattison wasn’t the only celebrity to receive support from her chosen icon either, as Ellie Goldstein was congratulated on her efforts by Spice Girl Emma Bunton.
Elsewhere in the episode, Balvinder Sopal bounced back from being in the dance-off again with a Beyonce-themed quickstep and La Voix closed the show with a tribute to Cher.
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Key points
- VIDEO: Watch Tess and Claudia announce that they're quitting Strictly
- Frontrunners for Tess and Claudia replacements named
- COMMENT: Tess and Claudia’s Strictly exit is the latest shocker for a troubled show – but not the death knell
- VIDEO: Tess and Claudia thanks fans for 'beautiful' messages
- Ellie gets an extra special message from a Spice Girl
- Geordie Icon makes an appearance to support Vicky
- VIDEO: La Voix jokes about applying for presenting job
BBC bosses respond to Tess and Claudia's departure
Friday 24 October 2025 01:25
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Athena Stavrou
Kate Phillips, chief content officer for the BBC, described the announcement as the “end of an era”, with the co-hosts being “integral” to the show’s success.
She said: “They’ve both been such incredible hosts at the very heart of the show, their passion and dedication has gone above and beyond. They’ve been integral to Strictly’s success over the last 20 years, but I understand why they’ve decided it’s time to hang up the glitter ball and get their weekends back.”
Suzy Lamb, managing director of entertainment at BBC Studios, added: “Tess brought elegance, poise, and a genuine love for the show that never waned from the very start. And with Claudia’s charm and razor-sharp wit joining us from It Takes Two in 2014, it cemented a partnership that has kept our audience captivated ever since.
“Tess and Claudia are much more than presenters to us, they are part of the Strictly production family – and whilst we’ll miss them dearly, we wish them nothing but the best.”
The show’s executive producer, Sarah James, labelled the pair as the “matriarchs” of the Strictly family, adding they are the “best duo of presenters” in the business.
She said: “They have championed countless celebrities on the dancefloor, led us all through two series during the pandemic, but more importantly they have a deep and genuine bond with the show and every single member of the team.
“We have been together and supported each other for a long time – through pregnancies, births and deaths – and to say we will all miss them terribly is an understatement.”
Watch: Oti Mabuse cries as says Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman exit is 'end of an era'
Friday 24 October 2025 02:30
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Athena Stavrou
Traitors star reacts to Winkleman's exit
Friday 24 October 2025 03:30
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Athena Stavrou
FormerTraitors star Diane Carson has spoken out over the news Claudia Winkleman - who also hosts The Traitors on BBC.
“No way. Claudia’s so good at whatever she does and she’s so now invested in The Traitors,” she told BBC Radio Cumbria.
"Wow, God I hope she never leaves Traitors.
“People always say to me, 'is she as she seems?' Well yes she is. She is passionate about the game, she is invested in all the players and she is very funny.
“And of course her costumes have got more and more bizarre - which is fantastic.”
The stars most likely to replace Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly
Friday 24 October 2025 04:30
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Athena Stavrou
Claudia Winkleman appears to hint that Strictly replacements have already been decided
Friday 24 October 2025 05:30
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Athena Stavrou
Strictly Come Dancing host Claudia Winkleman appeared to hint that she knows the identity of her and Tess Daly’s replacement, as she promised that the show’s new presenters will take the programme “to new heights”.
Daly, 56, has hosted the show for 21 years while Winkleman, 53, joined as co-presenter on the main programme in 2014, having previously hosted the Sunday night results show. They announced today (23 October) that they are stepping down after the end of the current series.
“I’ve always believed it’s best to leave a party before you’re fully ready to go and I know the new hosts will be magnificent,” Winkleman wrote in a statement announcing her departure.
She added: “I look forward to watching them take Strictly to new heights.”
Full story: Tess and Claudia quit Strictly
Friday 24 October 2025 06:30
,
Athena Stavrou
Craig Revel Horwood reacts to Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman's Strictly exit
Friday 24 October 2025 07:00
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Athena Stavrou
Bookies reveal stars most likely to replace Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly
Friday 24 October 2025 08:00
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Greg Evans
Zoe Ball, Fleur East, Janette Manrara, Rylan Clark and Stacey Dooley are among the favourites to replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman as Strictly hosts. Here are all the odds from bookmakers:
It Takes Two addresses Daly and Winkleman exit
Friday 24 October 2025 09:00
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Greg Evans
It Takes Two host Janette Manrara addressed Daly and Winkleman’s upcoming departure on Thursday night's show.
The host said: “Ladies, we are going to miss you both so much. But luckily we still have them for what promises to be a brilliant 2025 series and the Christmas show!"
Strictly judge Anton Du Beke calls Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s exit ‘the saddest news’
Friday 24 October 2025 09:30
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Greg Evans
Anton Du Beke has dubbed Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s exit from the programme “the saddest news”.
“Tess, I remember back in 2004 in a London hotel introducing this wonderful new show Strictly Come Dancing to the world. You’ve been a torch bearer from the beginning.”
He continued: “But more importantly for those 20 years, you’ve been a wonderful friend and colleague. I’m going to miss you dearly on a Saturday night.
“Hand in hand with the fabulous Claudia, taking over from my hero Brucie, together you have elevated the show to unprecedented levels as the most magnificent presenting duo!”
Du Beke said he’d miss Daly and Winkleman “terribly” but said he was sure they’d both be a “huge success” in whatever they chose to do after the BBC dance competition.
Lydia Spencer-Elliot reports:
When is Tess and Claudia's final Strictly appearance?
Friday 24 October 2025 10:00
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Greg Evans
The shock news that Daly and Winkleman are leaving Strictly after more than a decade has naturally got people wondering when their final episode will be.
Although the finale of the current season will air on 20 December, the duo’s last episode will actually be the Christmas special, which will air on 25 December.
Friday 24 October 2025 10:25
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Katie Rosseinsky
Strictly Come Dancing judge Motsi Mabuse has admitted she was “shocked” by the “totally unexpected” news of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s departure.
The panellist, who joined the show in 2019, joked that she “never hear[s] the rumblings” about colleagues’ departures, and admitted that she “really needed a moment to let it sink in”.
Mabuse, who is the older sister of former Strictly pro and two-time show winner Oti Mabuse, said that Winkleman and Daly’s joint departure “feels like a very special era coming to a close” in a post on Instagram.
The star shared a series of photos of Winkleman, Daly and their co-stars taken during their stint on the show, and praised the pair for leading “with so much warmth, humour, grace and strength”.
“Two amazing women at the heart of one of the biggest shows on television,” she added. “That’s really rare and truly it’s powerful.”
She singled out the duo’s work on the show during the coronavirus pandemic as “truly special”, writing: “The way you held the show, kept the joy alive, and gave people hope in such uncertain times was incredible.”
Tess and Claudia have given Strictly the latest shock exit for a troubled show – but it’s not the death knell
Friday 24 October 2025 10:50
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Greg Evans
The beloved presenting duo are leaving the ‘Strictly’ ballroom when the current season ends. Katie Rosseinsky looks at what their departure means for a show that’s been beset by troubles in recent years.
Read more here.
Ex Strictly pro weighs in on Tess and Claudia’s departure
Friday 24 October 2025 11:20
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Katie Rosseinsky
Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Flavia Cacace has opened up about her experiences working with Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, noting that it will be “difficult” to replace the duo.
Cacace, who appeared on the BBC show between 2006 and 2012, winning the Glitterball trophy in her final year when she was paired up with gymnast Louis Smith, hailed the pair’s “amazing” sense of humour during an appearance on BBC Breakfast on Friday morning.
“They are genuinely amazing people and great at what they do, and it’s going to be difficult to replace them,” she said.
She added that “change is inevitable”, telling the show: “I left the year that Bruce [Forsyth] left, and I remember the feeling that you don't know what's going to happen because they are such an integral part of the show.
“And in the same way that Bruce was the show, I think Tess and Claudia are the show now.
“So it is a big change, and change always brings uncertainty.”
How Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman blazed a trail for women on TV
Friday 24 October 2025 11:40
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Katie Rosseinsky
When Claudia Winkleman joined Tess Daly to host Strictly Come Dancing in 2014, the pair made history as primetime TV’s first female presenting duo.
Winkleman had hosted spin-off show It Takes Two for a decade before getting the call up to the main programme, following the departure of legendary host Sir Bruce Forsyth.
Since then, they have steered the BBC show through 11 years of celebrity contestants, countless dazzling routines and a fair few controversies.
Daly has been part of the show since its launch in 2004, working alongside Forsyth.
Speaking after being made an MBE earlier this year, Daly said that being part of “the first all-female presenting duo on primetime telly” meant a lot to her “as a mother of girls, to sort of pave the way”.
Former Strictly pro James Jordan gives verdict on show’s future
Friday 24 October 2025 12:02
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Katie Rosseinsky
Former Strictly Come Dancing professional James Jordan has said the show will continue seamlessly after the exit of hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly.
“It’s a juggernaut you could change everyone on the panel, the judges, the professional dancers, the show is such a strong format, no matter who you have on there, it will be great,” Jordan said of the programme’s future.
The 47-year-old, who was a Strictly pro from 2006 to 2013, however noted that Winkleman and Daly were the foundational “bricks and water” of the programme. “The show wouldn’t have been as successful without them,” he said, adding it was a “big statement” for the duo to leave together.
Jordan dismissed speculation that Winkleman and Daly opted to leave the show following past bullying scandals but told MailOnline that BBC bosses would now need to make “big changes” to the show.
“Some of the pro dancers need to go, there needs to be more fresh blood in the professionals now,” Jordan said.
“I’m not naming names because that's unfair but some pros on the show are weak, you need to know when to hang up your shoes to be honest with you.”
Lydia Spencer-Elliott reports:
Strictly 2025 contestant reveals how fellow competitors responded to news
Friday 24 October 2025 12:25
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Katie Rosseinsky
Strictly 2025 contestant Ross King has revealed how the current contestants’ WhatsApp group responded to news of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s departure.
King is an entertainment correspondent for ITV morning shows and was paired up with professional dancer Jowita Przystal in the current series. They became the second couple to leave the show earlier this month, after a Thunderbirds-themed Paso Doble failed to win over the judges.
Speaking on ITV’s Lorraine this morning, King told stand-in host (and past Strictly contestant) Ranvir Singh that he had initially been confused by his fellow competitors’ responses.
“I’m still on the WhatsApp group and then I thought, ‘why’s everyone saying, ‘Wow that’s fantastic?’” he said. “And then I realised that WTF doesn’t mean ‘Wow, that’s fantastic!’”
“So it really did come as a huge surprise to absolutely everyone.”
King noted that some commentators had questioned Winkleman and Daly’s decision to announce the news mid-season, but suggested that this meant that the pair could enjoy a “lovely build-up” towards their final show.
Have Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman's Strictly replacements already been chosen?
Friday 24 October 2025 12:55
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Katie Rosseinsky
Strictly Come Dancing host Claudia Winkleman appeared to hint that she knows the identity of her and Tess Daly’s replacement, as she promised that the show’s new presenters will take the programme “to new heights”.
Daly, 56, has hosted the show for 21 years while Winkleman, 53, joined as co-presenter on the main programme in 2014, having previously hosted the Sunday night results show. They announced today (23 October) that they are stepping down after the end of the current series.
“I’ve always believed it’s best to leave a party before you’re fully ready to go and I know the new hosts will be magnificent,” Winkleman wrote in a statement announcing her departure.
She added: “I look forward to watching them take Strictly to new heights.”
The BBC are yet to confirm who will take over Winkleman and Daly’s roles as hosts of the long-running show.
Lydia Spencer-Elliott reports:
When will Tess and Claudia actually leave Strictly?
Friday 24 October 2025 13:32
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Katie Rosseinsky
Fear not, Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will be continuing their Strictly Come Dancing duties until the very end of the year, the BBC has confirmed.
Paying tribute to both hosts during last night’s episode of It Takes Two, Janette Manrara revealed this year’s Strictly final would not be the pair’s last appearance, and confirmed both will return for the show’s annual Christmas special.
“We still have them for the rest of what promises to be a brilliant series and the Christmas special,” Manrara said.
The presenting duo stunned fans yesterday (23 October) after posting a video message to Tess’ Instagram page announcing news of their departure.
Daly, 56, has hosted the show for 21 years, while Winkleman, 53, joined as co-presenter on the main show in 2014.
Tess Daly admits she kept pregnancy secret from Strictly bosses before start of show
Friday 24 October 2025 14:30
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Katie Rosseinsky
Tess Daly has revealed she decided to keep her pregnancy a secret during the early days of her Strictly Come Dancing career.
Appearing on Giovanna Fletcher’s Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast on Tuesday (14 October), the host said that she initially decided not to tell BBC bosses back in 2004 that she was expecting her first child.
Daly said: “What if they didn’t want me because they don’t want a visibly pregnant woman on a prime time show on a Saturday night, which by the way in 2004, you didn’t see many.”
At a press conference a few weeks after Daly had accepted the job, she recalled having a “bump” and had to come clean. “Nobody minded and it was absolutely fine,” she said.
Holly Bishop reports:
‘The greatest relationship of my career”: Claudia bids an emotional farewell to Strictly
Friday 24 October 2025 15:30
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Katie Rosseinsky
Claudia Winkleman admitted that it was “very difficult to put into words exactly what Strictly has meant to me” as she reflected on her time on the show.
In a post shared on Instagram shortly after she and co-host Tess Daly confirmed their joint departure, Winkleman admitted that Strictly has been her “everything” for more than 20 years.
“It’s very difficult to put into words exactly what Strictly has meant to me,” the presenter wrote.
“It’s been the greatest relationship of my career. From working on It Takes Two in 2004 until now it has been my everything, the show I will be eternally grateful for.
“I will never forget Len Goodman trying to teach me what a cucaracha is (I still don’t know) and the complete thrill and honour it was to work with Tess on the results show to cohosting on Saturday nights.”
She went on to joke that she has “always believed it’s best to leave a party before you’re fully ready to go” and hailed her co-star Daly as “funny, kind, whip smart and a true friend”.
Is it time to say goodbye to Strictly?
Friday 24 October 2025 16:30
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Katie Rosseinsky
The unthinkable has happened: Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly are leaving Strictly Come Dancing. Is it not foretold that when the raven-haired one leaves the Strictly tower, the BBC shall fall? asks Kat Brown.
The pair announced their plan to depart at the end of the series in a joint Instagram video, saying they’d always decided that if they left, it would be together. I don’t believe that version of events for a second. It feels unfeasible to keep hiring Daly, whose main qualification for live television is looking nice in a Bella Freud suit.
No matter. At times of national crisis such as this, it is always tempting to plonk something extreme on the table. Axe the winter fuel allowance. War with France. Vote Reform. So, my turn: is it time to say goodbye to Strictly for good?
It has become a one-show scandal factory. Intensive rehearsals and close proximity mean that the “Strictly curse” of pro-celebrity romance has broken up several relationships. Two male dancers were investigated last year over allegedly harsh teaching practices.
And then there was last year’s contestant, Go Compare opera singer Wynne Evans, who was ditched by the BBC as a radio presenter this year after making inappropriate comments at the Strictly tour launch, and whose wandering hands made his dance partner, Katya Jones, visibly uncomfortable.
Kat Brown weighs in on whether it’s time to bid farewell to the BBC show below...
Craig Revel Horwood suggests potential replacements for Tess and Claudia
Friday 24 October 2025 17:30
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Katie Rosseinsky
Strictly Come Dancing’s longest-standing judge Craig Revel Horwood had suggested two potential new hosts for the show.
Revel Horwood said that he had heard news of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s departure at the same time as the public, when the pair posted a statement on Instagram.
Appearing on Loose Women yesterday, he said that he was “shocked and surprised” at the news, noting that he has “worked with the gorgeous Tess since May 2004”, when the show began.
“It’s the end of an era,” he added, before noting that change can be a “good thing”.
When former Strictly pro turned Loose Women panellist Oti Mabuse asked whether he would consider a hosting gig on the show, he suggested: “I think that’s where you might come in, darling.”
“I think you and Alan Carr together would be perfect. Because I’m loving him on [The Celebrity Traitors], I’ve got to say.”
Strictly hosts leaving at same time is 'a big statement', says former pro
Friday 24 October 2025 18:30
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Katie Rosseinsky
Former Strictly Come Dancing professional James Jordan has said the show will continue seamlessly after the exit of hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly.
“It’s a juggernaut you could change everyone on the panel, the judges, the professional dancers, the show is such a strong format, no matter who you have on there, it will be great,” Jordan said of the programme’s future.
The 47-year-old, who was a Strictly pro from 2006 to 2013, however noted that Winkleman and Daly were the foundational “bricks and water” of the programme. “The show wouldn’t have been as successful without them,” he said, adding it was a “big statement” for the duo to leave together.
Lydia Spencer-Elliott has the full story.
Strictly fans will miss Claudia Winkleman's offbeat sense of humour
Friday 24 October 2025 19:30
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Katie Rosseinsky
Strictly Come Dancing fans will certainly Claudia Winkleman’s wacky sense of humour when she steps down from the show, as this funny moment from Saturday night’s live show proves.
Winkleman and the show’s long-running conductor Dave Arch delighted fans after they recreated the infamous Coldplay kiss-cam moment during Saturday’s show, Ellie Muir reports.
As host Tess Daly introduced a dance routine to the band’s 2008 song “Viva La Vida”, the camera panned to a balcony where Winkleman was embracing Arch, which was a nod to one of the most viral moments of the year when a kiss-cam captured Astonomer CEO Andy Byron in an intimate moment with his HR executive Kristin Cabot at a Coldplay concert in Massachusetts.
Winkleman and Arch, mimicking the footage of Byron and Cabot, leapt out of each other’s arms and hid behind the balcony when the camera landed on them, feigning embarrassment.
Strictly’s Anton Du Beke breaks silence on Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly exit
Friday 24 October 2025 20:30
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Greg Evans
The judge reflected on his “fond memories” of the “extraordinary pair”, in a video message posted to Instagram on Thursday (23 October).
Speaking about Daly, Du Beke applauded her for “introducing the world to this incredible, fabulous show of ours”.
He reflected on meeting Winkleman in series two when she began presenting It Takes Two. “I'm devastated, but whatever choices you make, I know they'll be the best for you.”
Claudia Winkleman appears to hint that Strictly replacements have already been decided
Friday 24 October 2025 21:30
,
Greg Evans
Strictly Come Dancing host Claudia Winkleman appeared to hint that she knows the identity of her and Tess Daly’s replacement, as she promised that the show’s new presenters will take the programme “to new heights”.
Daly, 56, has hosted the show for 21 years while Winkleman, 53, joined as co-presenter on the main programme in 2014, having previously hosted the Sunday night results show. They announced today (23 October) that they are stepping down after the end of the current series.
“I’ve always believed it’s best to leave a party before you’re fully ready to go and I know the new hosts will be magnificent,” Winkleman wrote in a statement announcing her departure.
She added: “I look forward to watching them take Strictly to new heights.”
Lydia Spencer-Elliot reports:
Strictly Come Dancing odds: Who will replace Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly?
Friday 24 October 2025 22:30
,
Greg Evans
Here are all the runners and riders who might replace the iconic duo:
Strictly Come Dancing 2025 couples – full list of celebrities and their partners
Friday 24 October 2025 23:30
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Greg Evans
Amid all the drama its easy to forget that there is actually still a competition going on. Here are all the contestants that are competing on this year’s Strictly:
Strictly’s Stefan Dennis ‘devastated’ after serious leg injury prevents him from flying home
Saturday 25 October 2025 00:30
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Greg Evans
‘Neighbours’ star will not be able to leave the UK until next month due to health concerns.
Lydia Spencer-Elliot reports:
Strictly stars react to ‘heartbreaking’ news that Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman quit show
01:30
,
Greg Evans
Former pro dancer Oti Mabuse broke down in tears over the announcement
Read more below:
