ITV’s former golden girl Holly Willoughby has been tippped to take over the BBC’s flagship show Strictly Come Dancing.
Former BBC One Controller Peter Fincham claims the former star of Dancing On Ice and This Morning is being lined up to host Strictly after Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly announced their departure at the end of this series.
Fincham has revealed all to the Daily Mail’s Richard Eden after hearing the news from a top industry insider.
‘My hairdresser also cuts the hair of a well-known channel controller,’ Fincham has spilled. ‘What’s said in Harry’s the hairdresser stays in Harry’s. But he says with great confidence that Holly Willoughby will take over.’
If the ‘well-known channel controller’ is correct, it would herald a dramatic return for Holly, 44, who quit This Morning in 2023 after 14 years, following intense public scrutiny.
Earlier that year, her long-time co-presenter Phillip Schofield resigned after admitting that, before leaving his wife, he had carried on an extramarital affair with a young male co-worker and had lied about it to ITV’s management, his colleagues, lawyers, agents and friends and family.
ITV’s former golden girl Holly Willoughby has been tippped to take over the BBC’s flagship show Strictly Come Dancing
Former BBC One Controller Peter Fincham claims the former star of This Morning is being lined up to host Strictly after Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly announced their departure
Since then, Holly has hosted Celebrity Bear Hunt with Bear Grylls, on Netflix, but it was not commissioned for a second series.
ITV announced in March that Dancing On Ice would be ‘rested’ in 2026, and that there are currently no plans for another series, paving the way for Holly to take on the rival BBC show.
She was first linked to the Strictly job by The Mail on Sunday in 2023. She is close to some of the corporation’s most senior executives courtesy of her husband Dan Baldwin, who produces major BBC programmes including Saturday night fixtures The Wheel and Gladiators.
If Holly does take the Strictly reins it’s thought bosses will reuite her with her close friend Bradley Walsh.
The duo did a pilot back in 2019, Take Off With Holly & Bradley. A series was commissioned but was never made due to Covid.
They also worked together on ITV sports comedy panel game show Play To The Whistle which ran for two years from 2015.
Bradley is one of the biggest names in TV, hosting iconic quiz show The Chase as well as the reboot of BBC’s Gladiators with his son Barney.
And it’s thought his popularity with the older viewership of his quiz shows and the younger Gladiators demographic is the main draw for Strictly bosses.
ITV announced in March that Dancing On Ice would be ‘rested’ in 2026, and that there are currently no plans for another series, paving the way for Holly to take on the rival BBC show – pictured on the 2024 series with winners Ryan Thomas and Amani Fancy
Whilst Holly and Bradley are the frontfunners to take over from the all-female partnership of Claudia and Tess, Zoe Ball is also thought to be a name in the mix.
Last week Zoe became the first major name to declare her interest, admitting the role would be ‘amazing’ – just two months after questioning her decision to quit her £950,000 Radio 2 Breakfast Show.
As well as hosting Strictly’s spin-off show It Takes Two for a decade, she competed on the show itself – finishing as runner-up in 2005 with professional dancer Ian Waite.
The 54-year-old made the revelation on her Dig It podcast with fellow broadcaster Jo Whiley. Speaking about the moment she heard the news, Zoe said: ‘I thought it was such a shocker for everyone – we were all like, what?
‘My phone was going beep, beep! ‘What? Why did you not tell me this was happening?’ It’s like, ‘I didn’t know! Why would I know?”
The presenter was quick to pay tribute to the departing hosts, saying: ‘I just want to say to the girls, bravo. I think they’re both fab and they’re going to be a tough act to follow on that show.’
But when her co-host Jo asked her directly: ‘Would you like to do it?’, Zoe didn’t hold back, confessing: ‘I think everyone would like to do that job. It’s an amazing job. It’s the best Saturday night show.
If Holly does take the Strictly reins it’s thought bosses will reuite her with her close friend Bradley Walsh. The duo did a pilot back in 2019, Take Off With Holly & Bradley. A series was commissioned but was never made due to Covid
‘When I’m watching Ellie dancing with Vito or Lewis and Katya and Alex and JoJo…. they’re just so amazing. It still brings so much joy to people’s lives, that show. Whoever takes over will have the best gig in the world.’
She added: ‘Everyone’s going to want that job. There will be queues going around the block.’
Claudia, 53, and Tess, 56, will exit Strictly at the end of the current series, with their final show airing on Christmas Day during the show’s special.
They both had previously said how they made a pact to leave the show together, rather than either remaining and being paired with a new presenter.
Tess and Claudia are thought to have told bosses about their decision to leave last November, which was kept firmly under-wraps until last month.
