Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly are said to have ‘blindsided’ the Strictly Come Dancing cast with news of their surprise exit.
The duo stunned the TV world when they shared on Thursday they’d be stepping down from the BBC mainstay at the end of the current series in December.
Tess has been a host on Strictly since its first series in 2004, while Claudia, who also hosted spin-off It Takes Two, joined in 2010.
Sources are now claiming that none of this year’s stars knew of Tess and Claudia’s announcement, which they shared in a joint video on Instagram.
It’s also reported that far from a last-minute move, the pair’s announcement video was actually filmed weeks ago, and had been kept aside in case they needed to reveal the exit earlier than planned.
It comes as it was revealed that it was Claudia who led her co-host Tess to depart the show, having been tempted by a string of new TV offers in the wake of her successful stint as host of The Traitors.
Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly blindsided the Strictly Come Dancing cast with news of their surprise exit, it’s been reported
The duo stunned the TV world when they shared on Thursday they’d be stepping down from the BBC mainstay at the end of the current series in December
A source told The Sun: ‘They shot that video ages ago – much earlier in the series. They’ve had their departure video in drafts for weeks.
‘The celebs on this year’s show had no idea – everyone was blindsided by the news.’
It’s thought that Tess and Claudia were prompted to announce their exit after getting word their departure was about to be leaked.
A representative for Strictly Come Dancing declined to comment when contacted by The Daily Mail.
Following news of Claudia and Tess’ departure, it was revealed that it was the Radio 2 star who pushed for her and her longtime co-host to fulfil a pact they made to leave the show together.
Claudia’s stock has rocketed since enjoying success on fellow BBC One show The Traitors, plus new spin-off Celebrity Traitors, and according to some, is keen to explore opportunities away from Strictly.
Indeed, she has been heavily linked with a switch to ITV, which would offer significantly more money than her reported £150,000 a year deal to front Strictly with her co-host.
Having made her intentions clear to Tess, the former model decided to remain loyal to their pact of leaving together, believing she had ‘served her time’ on the show.
Following news of Claudia and Tess’ departure, it was revealed that it was the Radio 2 star who pushed for her and her longtime co-host to fulfil a pact they made to leave the show together
In recent years, Tess has made several hints about passing on the baton in regards to being main host, while Claudia revealed she encountered awkward conversations with Strictly bosses about the show’s clashes with family life, namely taking her son to university to kickstart his first year away from home.
A show insider told the Daily Mail: ‘Claudia has been around the block for a long time but since The Traitors, she’s moved up a level and is more in-demand than ever.
‘There’s been talk of some very interesting projects which she simply can’t commit to because of Strictly, as it takes up a third of the year, so she felt that to maximise her ambition, she had to leave Strictly.
‘Leaving the show has been on Tess’s mind for a few years but Claudia leaning towards leaving made it an easier decision.’
The Daily Mail’s Katie Hind and Alison Boshoff reveal more exclusive details about the real reason behind their exit in the Mail+ article. Read it here.
The insider added: ‘They always had a pact to leave together and they wanted to adhere to that. They come as a pair, when it comes to Strictly, so going out together made perfect sense.’
Since announcing their exits, which was prompted by alleged leaks within the BBC, speculation has already started regarding who will replace them with Rylan Clark, Stacey Dooley, Fleur East and Janette Manrara the early favourites.
The show remains the jewel in the crown at the BBC and whoever lands the gig will automatically land greater exposure and a significant pay-packet for fronting such a popular show.
But as Tess and Claudia would privately admit, fronting such a big series also brings huge responsibility, as well as dedication for a large chunk of the year.
In a recent podcast chat, Tess highlighted how her commitment to Strictly means she’s missed out on bonding time with her young daughters she will never get back, as well as weekends’ away with her pals.
Claudia revealed in 2022 how Strictly has impacted her family life.
The star, who shares three children – Jake, 22, Matilda, 19, and Arthur, 14 – with film producer husband Kris Thykier, said she told the show’s boss Sarah James she would quit if the start of the new series clashes with the date her son Jake was due to start university.
She said: ‘I phoned the boss of Strictly quite dramatically and said, through tears, ‘Sarah I love you. I don’t want to leave Strictly.
‘Tess and I have agreed we will leave together when they’re done with us, but if the first show is on 13th September, I’m out and you’ll have to go with somebody else.’ And there was a beat.’
Claudia added: ‘And Sarah said, ‘Quite dramatic. We don’t start that week.’ It was a rite of passage, I had to go and hang up his posters. It’s not because I love him more than other parents love their kids but this is something parents have to go through.’
Tess shares two daughters – Phoebe, 21, and Amber, 15, with Radio 2 DJ Vernon Kay.
The former T4 star, 51, took over from Ken Bruce as host of the coveted mid-morning slot in 2023 and is viewed as a ‘long-term’ fixture within the station, according to insiders.
Tess has been a host on Strictly since its first series in 2004, while Claudia, who also hosted spin-off It Takes Two, joined in 2010
Reacting to news of Tess’s departure on Instagram, less than an hour after her announcement, Vernon reposted an artist’s sketch of his wife and her co-star on Strictly alongside the caption: ‘What a fantastic duo they have been.’
Tess and Claudia announced their departure by posting a video, sitting side-by-side, on Thursday morning.
Speaking to the camera, Claudia began: ‘There have been some rumblings and we want you to hear this from us.’
Tess chimed in: ‘We have news, after 21 wonderfully joyful years on Strictly, we have decided that the time is right to step aside and pass over the baton.’
‘The very sparkly baton!’ Claudia laughed, before turning to her co-star and pal to add: ‘You’ve been here since the beginning.’
Tess replied, pointing to Claudia: ‘With Bruce, lovely Bruce [Forsyth], and that was over two decades ago but a lot of the time has been with you.
‘It’s been a huge part of our lives since our children were literally babes in arms, and now they’re adults, and I think genuinely we have cherished every second.’
Claudia continued: ‘We have, we’re so lucky to have been part of this amazing show and we just want to thank the Strictly team, because Strictly is the people who make it.’
The duo penned under the video: ‘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.’
The BBC have since broken their silence on Claudia and Tess’s exit – admitting their departure marks the ‘end of an era’.
The BBC’s chief content officer Kate Phillips 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 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.’
Managing director of entertainment Suzy Lamb echoed: ‘On behalf of the entire production team at Strictly, we are so going to miss Tess and Claudia.
‘Tess brought elegance, poise, and a genuine love for the show that never waned from the very start. And with Claudia’s charm and razor-sharp wit joining us from It Takes Two in 2014 – it cemented a partnership that has kept our audience captivated ever since.
‘Tess and Claudia are much more than presenters to us – they are part of the Strictly production family – and whilst we’ll miss them dearly, we wish them nothing but the best.’
Sarah James, Strictly’s executive producer, 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!’
