Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly predict “shock” will be felt as they depart Strictly Come Dancing in mere days

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The news that Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman were leaving Strictly Come Dancing came as a surprise, but fans wouldn’t have to say goodbye for over a month.

The month has flown by, and with only two episodes left in this season of Strictly Come Dancing, Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have said they’re sure to be feeling emotional during next week’s final.

While on the show ‘It Takes Two,’ host Fleur East asked the couple if they’d fully processed leaving, and Clark Daly responded, “Not yet.”

I haven’t really had a chance to consider it, we’ve been completely engrossed in this show. It’s so good that it’s been our main focus lately.

“So I think it’ll be a bit of a shock on the 20th. I might get emotional.”

Winkleman said she expects the atmosphere to be emotional, but emphasized the focus will be on celebrating the people who win, not on those presenting or attending.

Despite jokingly saying they won’t shed a tear, Winkleman shared that the pair will likely embrace and cry once the show is over.

The duo announced in October that they would be leaving the show, and this year’s Christmas special will be their final appearance.

The pair announced on Instagram that they’ve cherished their time working together and called hosting ‘Strictly’ a dream come true.

“We were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time.

We’re so excited for the rest of this incredible series and want to express our huge gratitude to the BBC and everyone involved in making the show. They are a fantastic team, and we’ll truly miss working with them every day.

Look, I know it’s going to hit us hard when the final ‘keep dancing’ moment happens, but we’ll still be saying it to each other, I think. Maybe not in fancy clothes, though – more likely comfy tracksuit bottoms at home with a pizza, you know?

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After the announcement that they were leaving, BBC’s Kate Phillips, who oversees content, said the presenters had been a key part of Strictly Come Dancing’s success for the past twenty years.

Phillips expressed his surprise and sadness at the news that Tess and Claudia are leaving Strictly Come Dancing. He praised their years of hosting, highlighting their dedication and how central they’ve been to the show’s success.

As a long-time fan of Strictly, I totally get why Tess and Claudia have decided to step down. They’ve been absolutely key to the show’s success for two decades, and honestly, they deserve their weekends back! They’re fantastic presenters – as Craig Revel Horwood would say, ‘fab-u-lous!’ – and genuinely lovely people. They’ve been great friends to so many of us at the BBC, myself included.

“Thank you Tess and Claud for everything, we will miss you hugely.”

Strictly Come Dancing continues on BBC One and iPlayer on Saturday 13th December at 6:35pm.

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2025-12-10 14:05