BBC reacts to Strictly Come Dancing presenting bombshell as Tess and Claudia's final appearance dates confirmed

Following the huge Strictly Come Dancing news that Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will be stepping down from presenting the show this year, the BBC has reacted, with Kate Phillips, chief content officer for the broadcaster, saying they have been "integral" to the show's success.

In a statement, Phillips said: "I can’t quite believe I’m saying this, but it’s the end of an era with Tess and Claudia’s decision to bid farewell to the Strictly ballroom. 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. As Craig would say, they are fab-u-lous presenters, and they are fab-u-lous friends to me and so many others at the BBC. Thank you Tess and Claud for everything, we will miss you hugely."

Both Daly and Winkleman have been with the show since it began in 2004. Daly first hosted alongside Sir Bruce Forsyth, while Winkleman hosted spin-off It Takes Two.

From 2010, Winkleman started co-presenting the main results show alongside Daly, while she became full-time co-presenter after Forsyth stepped down in 2014.

Now, it has also been confirmed when fans will last see the duo hosting the show together, with their final appearance set for Christmas Day, when they present this year's Strictly Christmas Special.

It has been acknowledged that plans for Strictly Come Dancing's 2026 season will be confirmed in due course.

Suzy Lamb, managing director for entertainment at BBC Studios also shared a statement, saying: "On behalf of the entire production team at Strictly, we are so going to miss Tess and Claudia. 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."

Sarah James, executive producer for the series added: "Tess and Claudia are quite simply the best duo of presenters in the business and we are so lucky to have had them as our Strictly anchors for so many years.

"They have championed countless celebrities on the dance floor, 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. The Strictly Family is often referred to and these women are the matriarchs of that family.

"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. Tess, Claudia, thank you for everything, it’s not over yet – let’s enjoy the rest of this fabulous series together. I would say Keep Dancing, but you never actually started!"

The current season of Strictly Come Dancing is ongoing, entering week 5 on Saturday. As with previous seasons, it is expected to run right through until December, just before the festive period and the Christmas special.

Strictly Come Dancing continues on BBC One and iPlayer on Saturday 25th October at 6:20pm.

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.