Strictly’s Nikita Kuzmin reveals secret "mission" amid Claudia and Tess’s exit

Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have just one Strictly Come Dancing live show left before they hang up their sparkles for good.

The hosting duo announced their departure from the entertainment programme back in October, with this year's Christmas special confirmed to be their last time on the programme.

"We were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time," the pair said in a statement shared on social media.

"We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series and we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to every single person who works on the show. They're the most brilliant team and we’ll miss them every day."

In their final year, they have also shaped the journeys of each of the Strictly contestants and professional dancers who have stepped onto the ballroom, and Nikita Kuzmin has some tricks up his sleeve to make it a memorable final outing for the duo.

During a press conference ahead of Saturday night's final, Kuzmin told press including RadioTimes.com: "Honestly, this year I've tried to do every single thing that I've never done with Claudia in the auditorium, like I took her out for a dance. I was like, 'Which things I haven't done yet?' So I'm just trying to check all of them out before they leave. That's my mission."

Only time will tell what tricks Kuzmin has up his sleeve, but it's safe to assume this weekend will be an emotional show not only for the future winners but for Tess and Claudia too.

During an appearance on It Takes Two, host Fleur East asked the pair if their departure had sunk in, to which Daly replied: "The short answer is no.

"I genuinely haven't had time to think about it, because we've been so into this series, so absorbed by it – it's such a brilliant series that all of our focus is on that, really.

"So I think it'll be a bit of a shock on the 20th. I might get emotional."

Winkleman added: "I think we will be emotional, but of course, it won’t be about us. It'll be about the winners."

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George Clarke, who has proven to be this year's Strictly underdog, shared a heartfelt sentiment about the pair, telling press including RadioTimes.com: "I think we're all very well aware how big a part of Strictly Tess and Claudia are, and I think we just look at it as a privilege to be able to be a part of one of their seasons, let alone their last one.

"And I know the pros will have a lot to say about them because they've spent much longer [with them], but even Alexis [Warr] having just as long as we have, has sort of realised quite how inclusive and how loving they are to us.

"And I feel like we've known them 13 weeks, but it does feel like longer, and it feels like they do genuinely care about us, and you can tell why they've been such a big part of Strictly for so long, and I think it's just a privilege to be a part of it."

Strictly Come Dancing concludes on Saturday 20th December at 7pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

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