Strictly Come Dancing’s Longtime Cohosts Announce Exit

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Strictly Come Dancing is about to waltz through a major shakeup.

Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, the hosts of the BBC’s popular dancing competition (the show that inspired Dancing With the Stars), have announced they are leaving after 23 seasons. They shared the news on social media.

Tess and Claudia announced on Instagram on October 23rd that they’re leaving their roles as hosts of Strictly. They shared that working together has been wonderful and that they always planned to leave at the same time, feeling now is the perfect moment.

Tess, 56, expressed her gratitude to the talented team who worked behind the scenes on the show—which first aired in 2004—and reassured viewers that she and Claudia, 53, will remain close friends even though the series is over.

Tess went on, saying that while it would be sad to say ‘keep dancing’ for the last time, they’d still encourage each other. Maybe, she added, they’d be doing it from the comfort of their homes, wearing comfy clothes and enjoying some pizza.

Similarly, Claudia shared her own heartwarming message to her longtime TV partner.

The host of Traitors UK shared a heartfelt message with Tess on Instagram, saying how grateful they were to have worked alongside her. They praised her humor, kindness, and intelligence, calling her a true friend and expressing their affection.

Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will host their last episode of Strictly Come Dancing together on the Christmas Day special. It hasn’t been revealed yet who will take over as hosts.

Tess initially presented the show with Bruce Forsyth until he left in 2013. Claudia had previously hosted the spin-off show, It Takes Two, and then joined Tess as co-host in 2010. They’ve become well-known for their great connection, which Tess believes comes from their long-standing friendship.

She described working with her colleague as incredibly enjoyable, telling Hello magazine that they have great chemistry and genuinely get along. She said it makes work feel effortless and is a true pleasure.

To see more TV stars who have walked away from hit shows, keep reading…

Fans were surprised in 2025 to learn that Mehcad Brooks was leaving the NBC crime show before its 25th season.

Brooks, who joined the show in 2022, portrayed Detective Jalen Shaw for three seasons.

Jax Taylor has stated he won’t be participating in season three of The Valley following concerns raised by viewers about his conduct in the previous season.

In July 2025, the Bravo star, who is going through a difficult divorce with Brittany Cartwright, explained that he’s currently prioritizing getting sober, improving his mental health, and being a good coparent. He feels this time is essential for his personal growth, particularly so he can be the best father to his son, Cruz.

Several cast members from Saturday Night Live recently announced they won’t be back for the show’s 51st season, with the news coming within a short period of time for each of them.

Longfellow and Walker each spent three seasons on SNL while Wakim exited after just one season.

Following the departures of Longfellow, Walker, and Wakim from Saturday Night Live, two more popular cast members, Gardner and Nwodim, announced they wouldn’t be back for season 51. Gardner had been with the show for eight seasons, and Nwodim for seven.

I was absolutely devastated when Sofia Mattsson left General Hospital! Seriously, summer 2025 felt like a personal loss. She played Sasha Gilmore for SEVEN amazing years, and I couldn’t believe it when they wrote her character off by having her move to Paris. It just wasn’t the same without her in Port Charles, honestly. I still miss seeing her on my screen!

Tracy Ifeachor, who starred in the popular HBO Max series The Pitt, decided to leave after its successful first season.

The actress shared on Instagram on July 10th how honored she was to play Dr. Heather Collins in the show’s impactful first season. She also expressed gratitude to viewers for watching, supporting the show, and sharing their personal experiences with her.

Even though fans likely expected Joel Miller, played by Pedro Pascal, to die – his fate in April 2025 mirrored the events of The Last of Us Part II, the video game the second season of The Last of Us is based on – the shocking way his character was killed still came as a surprise.

Pascal, known for dying in roles on shows like Game of Thrones and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, wasn’t too upset about his character’s fate. He jokingly told Entertainment Weekly, “I get killed a lot. I actually enjoy it!”

Following what he called a “wild adventure,” Peter Krause finished his run as Captain Bobby Nash on the drama 9-1-1 in an episode airing in April 2025.

According to a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, the character Bobby Nash was intentionally created to make a powerful sacrifice, as a tribute to the bravery of first responders. The show’s creator, Krause, explained that Bobby’s storyline was designed to honor those who risk their lives daily so others can survive.

As a storyteller, I understand tough decisions have to be made to keep things compelling. I recently spoke with showrunner Tim Minear, and he explained the reasoning behind a recent, and definitely talked-about, character death. He told Variety that after eight seasons, raising the stakes for future storylines meant someone needed to make the ultimate sacrifice. It wasn’t an easy call, especially with a fan favorite, but it was necessary to keep the narrative fresh and impactful.

Summer just got a little less fun.

In June 2025, Paige DeSorbo revealed she was leaving the Bravo series after being on the show for seven seasons.

After sharing seven summers with you all, I’m incredibly thankful for the memories, support, and experiences this journey has given me,” the Giggly Squad podcast host announced on Instagram. “But now it’s time to move on to something new, just like with everything else in life—the good and the not-so-good.

The popular Netflix show won’t have the French actress in its fifth season, which is set to come out in April 2025. She has confirmed she won’t be returning.

In an Instagram post on April 23rd, the actress announced she’s leaving Emily in Paris. She shared photos with her former co-stars and described her time on the show as a fantastic experience full of growth, creativity, and cherished memories.

Before the third season of The Sex Lives of College Girls begins, Reneé Rapp has announced she’s leaving the show.

She shared on social media in July 2023 that the show College Girls brought her to Los Angeles and connected her with many of her closest friends. She added that, after two and a half years, it’s led to meeting all of you and building this amazing community.

Mindy Kaling, one of the show’s creators, also confirmed that Renee Rapp was leaving. She shared on Instagram how much they love Rapp and how sad they are to see her go as Leighton Murray. Kaling also expressed excitement for Rapp’s upcoming music tour, saying they can’t wait to see her perform!

After over a year of speculation, Kevin Costner confirmed in June 2024 that he won’t be back for the final season of the popular Paramount drama, following his departure after four and a half seasons.

In February 2023, Ellen Pompeo finished her run as Meredith Grey on the ABC drama after playing the role for 19 years.

Pompeo admitted on The Drew Barrymore Show in December 2022 that she needed a change. Despite already returning for a guest spot in May and continuing to narrate the show, she felt she needed new challenges. ‘I’m 53, and my brain feels a little scattered,’ she explained. ‘I can’t just do the same thing, like The New York Times crossword, every day.’

Henry Cavill, known for playing Superman and Batman, has announced he’s leaving the Netflix series The Witcher after its third season. Liam Hemsworth will take over the role of Geralt starting with season four and likely for future seasons as well.

In an October 2022 Instagram post, Henry Cavill announced that his time playing Geralt of Rivia was coming to an end. He shared that he wouldn’t be returning for Season 4, saying he was stepping away from the character and his iconic weapons and medallion.

Jesse Lee Soffer, an original cast member, left the show in 2022 after playing Detective Jay Halstead for 10 seasons.

Everyone involved with the show has poured their heart and soul into making each week’s episode, and it’s been a rewarding experience,” said Jesse Soffer in a statement following his last episode on October 5th. “I’m incredibly proud of my work as Detective Jay Halstead.

After five seasons, Damian Lewis departed Showtime’s Billions in Oct. 2021.

In August 2021, Emily VanCamp left the TV show The Resident on Fox, meaning she would no longer be playing her role as a doctor on the series.

Madeleine Mantock, who played Macy on the CW’s Charmed reboot, decided to leave the show after three seasons. She announced her departure in 2021, calling the experience a “privilege” and expressing her appreciation for the “fantastic producers, creatives, cast and crew” she worked with.

Elizabeth Keen will never learn the truth about Raymond Reddington. Actress Megan Boone decided to leave The Blacklist after eight seasons, and her character was killed off before she could read a letter containing the big reveal. Boone described her time on the show as “a dream” in an Instagram post following her departure in 2021.

The second season of Bridgerton didn’t feature the Duke, as Rege-Jean Page, who became a fan favorite in the first season of the popular Netflix drama, chose not to return in 2021, disappointing many viewers.

He told Vanity Fair that he simply did the work he’d agreed to, and then took on additional assignments. He admitted he wished the story was more exciting, but that was all there was to it.

Ruby Rose first appeared as Batwoman (Kate Kane) in a 2018 Arrowverse event and then led the CW’s Batwoman series for one season, becoming the first openly lesbian superhero to star in her own show. She announced her departure from the series just two days after the season one finale in 2020. In season two, Javicia Leslie took over the role, playing a new character named Ryan Wilder who would become the new Batwoman.

Later on in season two, Kate got a bit of a face swap and returned played by Wallis Day.

America Ferrera left the show Superstore after its fifth season in 2020, which meant Cloud 9 lost its manager and the show lost a main character. Because of the pandemic, she made a brief appearance in the first two episodes of season six. When season six became the show’s final season, she returned for the last episode to give her character, Amy, and Jonah (Ben Feldman) a satisfying conclusion to their story.

In the final episode of the fourth season of the Syfy show The Magicians, Jason Ralph’s character, Quentin, successfully rescued Eliot, played by Hale Appleman, but died in the process. Although the show often deals with characters dying – it is called The Magicians, after all – Ralph did not reprise his role in the show’s fifth and final season.

Ahead of the final season, Arrow‘s Emily Bett Rickards announced her exit in a poem of sorts.

Felicity and I are very close, but after the seventh day, we’ll have to say goodbye, she wrote.

She did, however, return for a guest appearance in the show’s 2020 series finale.

Lauren Cohan initially left The Walking Dead in 2018 after difficult contract talks. While she appeared in a few episodes of season nine, her character, Maggie Greene, disappeared after a time jump. Producers wanted her back for season ten, and when her short-running TV show Whiskey Cavalier was cancelled, she returned. Cohan reappeared in the 16th episode of season ten, which aired in October 2020.

Following Danai Gurira’s co-star Cohan and Andrew Lincoln’s departures from the show, Gurira also left the zombie series. She joined the AMC show in its third season as the skilled swordswoman Michonne and appeared for the last time in an episode that aired in March 2020.

Nicollette Sheridan played the famous Alexis Carrington, appearing throughout the first season and as a main cast member in the second. In 2019, she decided to leave the CW series reboot before its third season to care for her mother, who was ill.

George Eads left the CBS show in 2019, during the third season. He stated he wanted to focus on spending more time with his family.

The show Lethal Weapon has seen its share of cast changes. After season two, Clayne Crawford was let go, and his co-star, Damon Wayans, announced he would leave after the show’s third season, which consisted of 13 episodes. Wayans stated in October 2018 that he planned to quit in December, citing his age (58) and health (diabetes) as factors, along with the demanding 16-hour workdays. He jokingly referenced his character’s line, saying, ‘Murtaugh said, ‘too old for this.’

Honestly, there wasn’t even a need to discuss future seasons or spin-offs. The show simply wrapped up after its third season – it wasn’t renewed, and that was that.

Ian Gallagher, played by Cameron Monaghan, ended up in jail on the show Shameless. While Monaghan decided to move on to other work after nine seasons, he surprisingly agreed to return for the show’s tenth season. He continued with the series through its final season, which aired in December 2020.

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2025-10-23 18:19