Who could replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman on Strictly Come Dancing?

The nation was shocked this week by the announcement that Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will be stepping down from hosting duties on Strictly Come Dancing.

The news came in a joint statement from the pair, who revealed that this year will be their last, admitting that it felt "like the right time".

The statement read: "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.

"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."

Ahead of their departure, and with Winkleman's nod that the new presenters will be "magnificent", speculation has been rife as to who could don their sparkles and rise to the challenge.

Read on for all the speculation around who could replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman on Strictly Come Dancing.

Who could replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman on Strictly Come Dancing?

Janette Manrara and Fleur East

Janette Manrara and Fleur East seem likely replacements, as the pair both host companion series It Takes Two.

Manrara joined It Takes Two in 2021 after she left the main show as a professional dancer, taking over from Zoe Ball. She was joined by Fleur East in 2023, months after the singer made it to the final of the main show alongside Vito Coppola.

According to bet365, the pair have odds of 5/2 and 7/2, with East leading the charge.

Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton

Former Strictly Come Dancing champions Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton have odds of 8/1 to potentially be named the new presenters.

The couple met on and won Strictly in 2018, and began dating the following year. The pair now have a child together, who they welcomed in 2023.

Rylan Clark

Rylan Clark has odds of 6/1 to be named the new presenter on Strictly.

Similarly to other rumoured names, Clark has been part of the Strictly world before having co-presented It Takes Two from 2019 to 2023.

Since 2018, he has served as a semi-final co-commentator of the Eurovision Song Contest over in the UK, often appearing on BBC Radio 2.

Hannah Waddingham

Hannah Waddingham is an actress and singer, best known for her role as Rebecca Welton in Ted Lasso, for which she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

Most notably, Waddingham co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 alongside Alesha Dixon, when it was hosted in the United Kingdom, proving to have the live presenting skills needed for Strictly.

She is also an acclaimed musical theatre performer, having starred in the likes of The Wizard of Oz, Spamalot and A Little Night Music. She also hosted the Olivier Awards back-to-back in 2023 and 2024.

Zoe Ball

Broadcaster Zoe Ball replaced Claudia Winkleman as host of companion series It Takes Two until her exit in 2021.

She is no stranger to the world of Strictly, having also hosted the live tour in 2011 and 2015, as well as appearing as a contestant in 2005.

Roman Kemp

Roman Kemp is a radio and TV presenter, and currently presents The One Show.

Kemp is among the names whispered to potentially take over the Strictly presenting gig, with his odds currently sitting at 5/1.

Alesha Dixon

Alesha Dixon is a singer and TV personality who currently sits on the judging panel of Britain's Got Talent, but has experienced the Strictly sparkle in the past.

In 2007, she appeared on and won the programme before starring as a judge on the show between 2009 and 2012.

Her presenting work includes Children in Need, the BRIT Awards and, more recently, she co-presented the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023 in Liverpool.

Alan Carr

Alan Carr has taken the nation by storm with his hilarious work on The Celebrity Traitors, with people calling for a return of his talk show Chatty Man.

Though never immersed in the Strictly world, Carr has presented the likes of Channel 4's Comedy Gala, Stand Up to Cancer and Picture Slam.

Emma Willis

TV presenter extraordinaire Emma Willis has odds of 10/1 to be named the next presenter of Strictly Come Dancing, and she certainly has the CV to back it up.

Willis presented Big Brother and Celebrity Big Brother from 2013 to 2018, as well as companion series Bit on the Side. Alongside this, she began presenting The Voice UK in 2014 and continues to do so.

Her other presenting gigs include The Circle and Love Is Blind: UK, which she fronts alongside her husband Matt Willis.

And finally... Graham Norton

Frances Taylor – TV Previews Editor, Radio Times

Do you remember those BBC entertainment series of the noughties that searched for new West End stars? The ones that saw Jodie Prenger landing the role of Nancy when she won I’d Do Anything, or Lee Mead donning the technicolour dreamcoat in Any Dream Will Do?

Graham Norton hosted these shows, and they had very similar formats to Strictly. He celebrated and commiserated with the contestants post-performance, but also sparred with the panel of judges. Who else could introduce Andrew Lloyd Webber as “his nibs” and get away with it?

And unsurprisingly, given that he’s one of our best broadcasters, Norton presided with panache and pizazz; his natural charisma, sharp wit and seamless ad-libbing made presenting a shiny-floor show seem effortless.

News of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s imminent departure from Strictly only amplifies recent whispers around whether the show has had its day. With two of its most sturdy anchors now setting sail, if the BBC wants to shore up the future of what is still one of its most prized and valuable assets, the corporation needs to draft in one of its most prized and valuable presenters. And that’s Norton. At what feels like a precarious juncture for the show, placing it in the hands of someone so experienced and beloved feels like the only hope.

Besides, as the BBC loves a bit of cost-cutting, here’s an idea for them: given that he would be absolutely perfect in the ‘Tess’ and ‘Claud’ roles, why not do away with a second host and instead have him bound up and down the stairs to do both jobs? Problem solved...

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

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