Tasha Ghouri 'so glad' to have done Strictly Come Dancing with Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman at helm
Tasha Ghouri finished runner-up on Strictly Come Dancing in 2024 - the penultimate series that Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman fronted.
Tasha Ghouri is "so glad" she got to do Strictly Come Dancing with Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman as hosts.
The Love Island alum, who finished runner-up on the BBC Latin and Ballroom dance show behind comedian Chris McCausland, 49, in 2024, has paid tribute to the pair, who quit last December, saying she felt "inspired" by how they presented the show.
Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz at the National Television Awards at London's The O2 arena on Tuesday night (08.09.26), Tasha, 28, said: "Tess and Claudia are such amazing powerhouses, and I was also inspired by them.
"When I watched Claudia hosting, just the way she gets into her role, I learnt so much from being around her, and Tess as well, who is so great.
"I'm so glad that I was able to do it with them."
The TV personality is "manifesting" a comeback to Strictly Come Dancing on an all-stars series, in which couples from previous seasons would return to the dance floor, fronted by Emma Willis, 50, Josh Widdicombe, 43, and 39-year-old Johannes Radebe.
Tasha added: "I can imagine getting my dancing shoes back on."
The beauty admitted returning to dancing on Strictly Come Dancing allowed her to reconnect with the person she was before finding fame on the ITV2 dating show Love Island in 2022.
Tasha said: "I wanted to be a dancer growing up and, naturally, I stopped dancing after Love Island because my career changed.
"So when the opportunity came, it felt so good to be able to be the old Tasha dancing again; it was connecting with my inner child again.
"And it's so special to be able to be dancing in front of people every week, and to be able to have the opportunity to go out there to inspire them, and that's what matters to me most.
"But I loved it so much."
Asked if there was anything she wished she had done differently during her time on Strictly Come Dancing, Tasha insisted she had no regrets.
The entertainer said: "There's nothing I wish I had done differently. I look back, and I'm so proud that I gave it everything I did because you only get that opportunity once."
Tasha has thrown her support behind the big shake-up coming to Strictly Come Dancing for 2026.
Some changes include its spin-off show It Takes Two being revamped as a video podcast, and five new professional dancers - Maddie Ingoldsby Aleksandra Isaeva, Cristian Priori, Lethabo Monametsi and Mark Karmalita - joining the show.
And Tasha has urged viewers to give new hosts Emma, Josh and Johannes a chance.
She said: "I'm so excited. I think people need to give the hosts a chance. There's been quite a lot of backlash about the hosts, and I'm like, 'We haven't got to see them host yet!' They're going to be absolutely amazing, and Johannes is fabulous."
She is particularly full of praise for Johannes, who joined Strictly Come Dancing as a professional dancer in 2018, and even tipped him to become the show's main host in the future.
Tasha said: "Johannes is amazing, and he has a gorgeous personality, and he is a natural star.
"So I'm really excited to see him do that now, and take on a centre role because sometimes, you have to challenge yourself and put yourself out there; you learn on the job as well.
"He is going to grow over the years, and I'd love to see him actually be the main host one day."
Strictly Come Dancing returns on September 19 when Emma, Josh and Johannes introduce the 2026 contestants to their professional partners on the launch show.
EastEnders icon Lacey Turner, 38, Neighbours alum Delta Goodrem, 41, Love Island alums Cach Mercer, 25, and 30-year-old Dani Dyer - who withdrew last year due to an ankle injury - and 43-year-old celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton have signed up.
Big Brother host Will Best, 41, Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey, 48, Babs actress Jaime Winstone, 41, football player-turned-pundit Shaun Wright-Phillips, 44, and House of the Dragon's Bethany Antonia, 28, are also taking to the dance floor.
Completing the line-up are dog trainer Graeme Hall, 60, Emmerdale actor Lawrence Robb, 34, Olympic skeleton gold medallist Tabby Stoecker, 25, YouTube star John Nellis, 33, and 64-year-old Gavin and Stacey star Melanie Walters.
The live competition format kicks off the following week, Saturday, September 26.
However, the first results show, and elimination won't air until Sunday, October 4, and it has been confirmed that the winners of this year's Glitterball Trophy will be revealed on Saturday, December 19.
At the National Television Awards on Tuesday night, Strictly Come Dancing won the Best Talent Show gong, beating Britain’s Got Talent, The Great British Bake Off, The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer, and The Great Pottery Throw Down.
