Alison Hammond makes Strictly U-turn as she says she's "not too busy" to host

Could Alison Hammond be cha-cha-chaing her way to the Strictly Come Dancing dance floor later this year? Well, never say never.

Ever since Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly announced their departure from the entertainment programme, speculation has been rife as to who could replace them, with a variety of names all thrown into the mix, with Hammond being one of them.

Hammond, already a fixture on This Morning, The Great British Bake Off and more recently, Your Song, amongst other programmes, had previously poured cold water on claims she'd be the next presenter.

After telling Radio Times she had been approached for the Strictly job, Hammond was rather pessimistic about taking on the role.

"I’m so busy, babes, that I’m not sure it’s going to happen," she revealed. "It’s unrealistic. I’m so happy they considered me but, like Traitors, I can’t do it because everything clashes."

She added, "I would have loved to have done it – anybody that gets it, they’re going to land the perfect job. But I’m so happy with everything I’ve got. What would I drop, to do Strictly?"

But now, Hammond has backtracked on those initial comments, telling Metro: "Do you think I would turn down Strictly if Strictly came along? Who would turn down Strictly! They’d be absolutely crazy.

"I was trying to back them off because ultimately everyone keeps putting my name in the mix and they’re ruining my chances of even getting on to Strictly, d’you know what I mean? You all need to stop talking about it because I need to get in.

"I’m not too busy, I’m fitter than I’ve ever been before. I can do Strictly. I can do it all. All these people saying, 'I’m too busy, and I can’t do it'... I could do Strictly. Let’s put that on the record."

The BBC is yet to confirm who will replace Winkleman and Daly, but an announcement is expected in due course.

Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One and iPlayer later this year.

Add Strictly Come Dancing to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.