Claudia Winkleman thinks Strictly Come Dancing lost its excitement in her and Tess Daly's final year
Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly quit as co-hosts of Strictly Come Dancing at the end of the 2025 series in December after 11 years.
Claudia Winkleman thinks Strictly Come Dancing became less exciting in the final year she and Tess Daly hosted.
The pair quit the BBC Latin and Ballroom dance show at the end of the 2025 series in December after 11 years co-fronting together, and Claudia, 54, felt it was the right time to leave.
She told the new issue of Closer magazine: "It's not that I wasn't excited at the end, but both of us were a bit like, 'Oh yeah, cool. All right, so then I do that...'"
Claudia struggled to hold back tears ahead of her and Tess’ last show on December 20, in which they crowned former England footballer Karen Carney, 38, and her professional dance partner Carlos Gu, 33, the champions.
Claudia recalled: "All week we were like, 'We're fine,' but I could not stop crying. It has been my entire life. You know, sometimes when you decide something, like, 'Let's move house,' then you pick up the final box.
"It's not that you've done something wrong, but it just feels big."
Claudia hosted the weekday companion show, It Takes Two, from 2004 until 2010, when she moved over to the main programme to do the pre-recorded Sunday night results show with 57-year-old Tess.
Tess previously presented Strictly Come Dancing with the late Sir Bruce Forsyth from 2004 until he bowed out in April 2014.
Filling the shoes of the late entertainer - who died of complications from bronchopneumonia in August 2017, aged 89 - was challenging for Claudia.
She added: "Thankfully, I did not have to be him. Tess did all the heavy lifting as she was the one who took over from Bruce, really."
Claudia felt 2025 was the "right time" for her and Tess to depart Strictly Come Dancing because it "deserves change".
And the show's bosses have seized their exit to give the dance competition a big shake-up for the 2026 series, which is expected to start in September.
Professional dancers Karen Hauer and Nancy Xu, both 34, Gorka Marquez, 35, Nadiya Bychkova and Luba Mushtuk, both 36, and 30-year-old Michelle Tsiakkas have all been axed.
And on April 20, The Sun newspaper reported that nine celebrities had been invited to audition for the prestigious presenting gig.
It was claimed that former BBC Radio 2 star Zoe Ball, 55, ex-Big Brother host Emma Willis, 50, and This Morning star Alison Hammond, 51, attended.
They are believed to have been joined by Celebrity Gogglebox alum Rylan Clark, 37, The One Show presenter Alex Jones, 49, and 65-year-old The Chase presenter Bradley Walsh.
As well as comedian Tom Allen, 42, RuPaul's Drag Race UK alum La Voix, 46, and 42-year-old The Apprentice: Unfinished Business host Angela Scanlon.
And on April 23, The Sun newspaper reported that It Takes Two is reportedly being turned into a video version of a podcast.
It came a week after 42-year-old former Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Janette Manrara - who has fronted It Takes Two with singer Fleur East, 38, since 2023 - told BBC Breakfast that she "doesn’t know" her future on the programme.
A Strictly spokeswoman said: "Plans for Strictly Come Dancing 2026 will be confirmed in due course."
