Alex Jones and Bradley Walsh wanted by BBC as new Strictly Come Dancing hosts
The BBC are said to lining up The One Show host Alex Jones and The Chase quizmaster Bradley Walsh to take over from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman as the presenters of Strictly Come Dancing.
Alex Jones and Bradley Walsh are being lined up to replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman as hosts of Strictly Come Dancing.
The One Show host and The Chase presenter are seen by the BBC as the perfect pair to take over from the departing duo on the corporation's Saturday night staple next year.
A source told The Sun newspaper: "Alex and Bradley are both the favourites to take over from Tess and Claudia. They have been in the BBC's sights for some time as Tess and Claudia's exit plan has been known for a while.
"Bradley and Alex are both seen as accomplished broadcasters. He brings the wisecracks and Alex is the calm head who knows how to handle live situations after 15 years of co-hosting The One Show.
"Alex is a massive fan of Strictly too so this would be the dream gig for her."
If Alex, 48, - who competed on Strictly back in 2011 - and Bradley, 65, become the new presenters, they will be over-seeing a "revamp" of the Latin and Ballroom contest.
An insider said: "Losing Tess and Claudia is a big change so there will be a revamp.
"The show will keep its key components like the set, the theme tune and the judging set-up - nothing to cause die-hard fans to kick off.
"But they want to freshen it up, maybe with a new-look logo and new faces on the dance floor. Bringing in Cynthia Erivo as a guest mentor for Movie Week was a taste of what's to come.
"New hosts and a few minor improvements and changes will breathe some life into it again."
Tess, 56, and Claudia, 53, announced that they would be leaving Strictly at the end of the current series last month and stressed that they had always planned to exit "together".
In a video message posted on Daly's Instagram feed, they said: "We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream.
"We were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time.
"We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series and we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to every single person who works on the show. They’re the most brilliant team and we’ll miss them every day.
"We will cry when we say the last 'keep dancing' but we will continue to say it to each other. Just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza.
"Tess and Claud."
