Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will bow out after Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will make their final appearance together on screen in the Christmas special of Strictly Come Dancing later this year.
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will make their final Strictly Come Dancing appearance on this year's Christmas special.
The presenting duo have announced they are to leave the BBC programme at the end of the current series and the corporation has revealed that the pair will bow out following the festive special of the show that will air on Christmas Day (25.12.25).
Tess and Claudia's exits mark the end of an era for Strictly and BBC chiefs say that the pair have been "integral" to the success of the Latin and Ballroom competition over the past two decades.
Kate Phillips, Chief Content Officer for the BBC, said: "I can’t quite believe I’m saying this, but it’s the end of an era with Tess and Claudia’s decision to bid farewell to the Strictly ballroom. They’ve both been such incredible hosts at the very heart of the show, their passion and dedication has gone above and beyond. They’ve been integral to Strictly’s success over the last 20 years, but I understand why they’ve decided it’s time to hang up the glitter ball and get their weekends back. As Craig (Revel Horwood) would say they are fab-u-lous presenters, and they are fab-u-lous friends to me and so many others at the BBC. Thank you Tess and Claud for everything, we will miss you hugely."
Strictly Come Dancing's executive producer Sarah James added: "Tess and Claudia are quite simply the best duo of presenters in the business and we are so lucky to have had them as our Strictly anchors for so many years. They have championed countless celebrities on the dancefloor, led us all through two series during the pandemic but more importantly they have a deep and genuine bond with the show and every single member of the team. The Strictly Family is often referred to and these women are the matriarchs of that family. We have been together and supported each other for a long time - through pregnancies, births and deaths and to say we will all miss them terribly is an understatement. Tess, Claudia, THANK YOU for everything, it’s not over yet – let’s enjoy the rest of this fabulous series together. I would say Keep Dancing, but you never actually started!"
The corporation states that plans for the 2026 series of Strictly Come Dancing "will be confirmed in due course".
Meanwhile, judge Motsi Mabuse expressed her "shock" at the departure of the pair.
Responding to Claudia's social media post, the 44-year-old star wrote: "Going to miss you so much!
"You're an icon and an inspiration. Still in shock, but wishing you love and best wishes."
