Zoe Ball teases “glamorous” new project as Jo Whiley hints at Strictly host reveal

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Rumors are swirling that Zoe Ball might be joining Strictly Come Dancing as a host, now that Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have left the show.

Since the show’s hosts announced they were leaving last year, everyone’s been guessing who will take over and present the show on Saturday nights.

Although the BBC hasn’t announced a replacement for the departing hosts, Zoe Ball is being discussed as a strong possibility.

On the Dig It with Jo Whiley and Zoe Ball show, Zoe Ball jokingly claimed she had no plans coming up. She emphasized this by saying, “Absolutely nothing going on my end,” and added with a playful tone that suggested otherwise.

She said she hoped to share the details later, but couldn’t discuss it right now.

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After co-host Whiley pointed out that Ball had changed her hair color, Ball explained she’d gotten some highlights added, saying she wanted to look glamorous for an upcoming event.

I always love a good, unexpected line in a film, and this exchange is perfect. Whiley playfully questioned Ball about needing to be glamorous, and Ball’s response was brilliantly matter-of-fact – she just wanted to look presentable for gardening and a quick trip to the shops! It’s such a funny, relatable moment.

Jo Whiley then made a cheeky comment, “Strictly gardening,” before Ball swiftly moved on.

This might just be playful banter, but Ball has expressed interest in hosting the event before.

Earlier this year, the former host of ‘It Takes Two’ told The Sunday Times that while he’d be interested in hosting again, he’ll still be a viewer no matter who takes on the role.

Speaking of the show, Ball added: “This is the hilarious thing, it’s all anyone talks to me about.

I’m really heartbroken about Tess and Claud – I truly loved working with them. It seems like everyone is being discussed as a potential replacement, which is understandable. I absolutely loved being on that show, and especially enjoyed performing with Ian Waite, who’s become a great friend.

It’s a really fun show, and it’s live television, which is something people often overlook when talking about the hosts. It’s a challenging show to present, and anyone who takes it on has big shoes to fill.

As of now, the BBC hasn’t announced who will host the show, but they’ve said they will share plans for the 2026 series when they’re ready.

In a recent appearance on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, BBC Chief Content Officer Kate Phillips mentioned that the BBC plans to begin casting for new presenters around the beginning of 2026.

She explained that they weren’t planning to address the issue until after the New Year, as their priority was to ensure a successful season of Strictly. However, she acknowledged receiving a large number of messages about it.

I can’t reveal any names, but this is a really fantastic job in television, so we’ve received a lot of interest from qualified candidates, which is wonderful. We’ll carefully consider our options moving forward, but unfortunately, there isn’t a possibility for everyone to be selected.

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

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Authors

Katelyn MensahSenior Entertainment Writer

Katelyn Mensah writes about entertainment for TopMob, covering everything from popular TV shows and reality competitions to important documentaries. Before joining TopMob, she worked at The Tab, where she focused on reality TV and celebrity news. She has a degree in Journalism.

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2026-04-16 14:11