Tess Daly shares heartfelt thanks to audience in final Strictly Christmas special

Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman bid an emotional farewell to Strictly Come Dancing one last time during tonight's Christmas special.

The festive episode featured six celebrities – Scarlett Moffatt, Melanie Blatt, Jodie Ounsley, Nicholas Bailey, Babatunde Aléshé and Brian McFadden – and their professional dance partners headed out on the dance floor to compete for the coveted festive Glitterball trophy.

After all the couples performed their routines, with one securing a whopping 40 points, they all took to the ballroom one last time for a group number.

As the spectacular dance came to an end, Tess and Claudia were guided onto the ballroom before saying their goodbyes.

As the episode drew to a close, Tess said: "Thank you again for watching us over the years. It has meant the world to us."

The pair then signed off the episode with one final "keep dancing" before the credits rolled.

Tess and Claudia announced their exit from Strictly Come Dancing back in October, sharing that it felt "like the right time".

In a joint statement shared on Instagram, the pair wrote: "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.

"Tess & Claud."

Read more:

• Strictly hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman given emotional Royal send-off on final show
• Strictly’s Nikita Kuzmin reveals secret "mission" amid Claudia and Tess’s exit

Details on who could potentially step into their shoes for the next Strictly season are yet to be announced, though Janette Manrara and Fleur East are currently favourites to take the helm, a natural progression from hosting It Takes Two.

Though Zoe Ball – who has just left BBC Radio 2 – is reportedly in the running too, with Bradley Walsh, Alex Jones and Alan Carr among the other names that have surfaced.

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

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The Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special is available to watch on catch-up on BBC iPlayer.

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