Is Claudia Winkleman Heading to Hollywood?

Claudia Winkleman is reportedly eyeing up a spot in Hollywood to continue her TV career, following her surprise Strictly Come Dancing exit.

Co-stars Claudia and Tess Daly’s departure was confirmed on Thursday morning on their respective social media platforms, which both included a video of the pair announcing their decision to step down. 

BBC insiders have claimed ‘America is calling’ for the presenter to move across the pond and launch her career in the US.

It could be tempting for The Traitors star, 53, as her film producer husband Kris Thykier and children already spend time in the big apple.

 A BBC insider told The i Paper: ‘Claudia has been talking about moving on for some time. She and Tess got the show through the 20th anniversary series which was against the backdrop of bullying claims.

‘America is calling for Claudia. Her children are older and her husband (film producer Kris Thykier) already spends a lot of time in Hollywood.’ 

Daily Mail has contacted Claudia’s representatives and the BBC for comment. 

Steven D Wright, a former Channel 4 entertainment producer, told the publication: ‘The Traitors has become such a big hit, she is almost being held back by Strictly. She could be offered a mega gig by Netflix and go to the US.’

Claudia was joined by her rarely-seen husband Kris on the red carpet at the Is This Thing On premiere last week. 

Claudia and Kris tied the knot in June 2000 and went on to welcome children, Jake, 22, Matilda, 19, and Arthur, 14. 

Claudia revealed in 2022 how Strictly has impacted her family life.

The star 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, 56, has featured in every one of the BBC1 juggernaut’s 21 series, stepping up as main host in 2014 to replace Bruce Forsyth, while Claudia joined the main show the same year having hosted BBC2 spin-off It Takes Two since 2004. 

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.

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!’