Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman said a heartfelt goodbye to Strictly Come Dancing during tonight’s Christmas special.
Six celebrities – Scarlett Moffatt, Melanie Blatt, Jodie Ounsley, Nicholas Bailey, Babatunde Aléshé, and Brian McFadden – danced with their professional partners in a special festive episode, all competing for the Glitterball trophy.
Once all the couples finished their dances – with one pair even receiving a perfect score of 40 – they came together for a final performance as a group on the ballroom floor.
After the amazing dance finished, Tess and Claudia stepped onto the ballroom floor to say goodbye.
As the show ended, Tess expressed her gratitude, saying, “Thank you so much for watching us all these years – it really means a lot to us.”
The pair then signed off the episode with one final “keep dancing” before the credits rolled.
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman revealed in October that they were leaving Strictly Come Dancing, explaining that it simply felt like the right moment to step down.
The couple shared a message on Instagram saying they’re looking forward to a fantastic finish to the series and expressed huge gratitude to the BBC and everyone involved in making the show.
“They’re the most brilliant team and we’ll miss them every day.
It’ll be sad when we finally stop saying ‘keep dancing,’ but we’ll still say it to each other – maybe just in comfy clothes at home, with pizza!
“Tess & Claud.”
As a huge Strictly fan, I’m already wondering who might replace the departing judges and hosts! Right now, Janette Manrara and Fleur East seem to be the frontrunners – and honestly, it makes perfect sense. They’ve both been fantastic on It Takes Two, so moving them into the main hosting roles feels like a really natural step.
Zoe Ball, recently departed from BBC Radio 2, is also a possible contender, alongside other potential hosts like Bradley Walsh, Alex Jones, and Alan Carr.
The details for the 2026 season of Strictly Come Dancing will be announced soon.
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The Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special is available to watch on catch-up on BBC iPlayer.
Authors
Katelyn Mensah writes about entertainment for TopMob, covering everything from popular TV shows and reality TV to important documentaries. Before joining TopMob, she worked at The Tab, where she focused on reality TV and celebrity news. She has a journalism degree.
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2025-12-25 22:04