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Oti Mabuse has said Strictly Come Dancing will survive without its longtime hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
The professional dancer, 35, who worked on Strictly between 2013 and 2019 and won the show twice, praised the presenters for the work they did on the show.
Speaking to The Times, she said: ‘I love Strictly. I wouldn’t be sitting here without that show. Strictly belongs to the people, and as long as the people still love it, it will go on for years.
‘Claudia and Tess are… I get emotional when I talk about it, because they are just so brilliant.
‘Nobody really sees the work Tess has to do — that show’s live, she’s making sure it’s not running over.’
Oti has recently become the head judge on Dancing With The Stars Ireland, the Irish version of Strictly.
Oti Mabuse has said Strictly Come Dancing will survive without its longtime hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman
She said: ‘I love Strictly. I wouldn’t be sitting here without that show. Strictly belongs to the people, and as long as the people still love it, it will go on for years’
Her new role has given her even more appreciation for what Tess and Claudia do, given she now has producers in her ear telling her to make her comments ‘snappy’.
The dancer believes the Strictly producers will do a ‘good job’ in selecting the next hosts because they ‘know the show better than any of us’.
It comes just a day after the Daily Mail reported that BBC bosses have reportedly drawn up a ‘Golden Ten’ shortlist as they search for potential new Strictly hosts.
Presenters including Bradley Walsh, Alex Jones and Alan Carr are among the frontrunners, with insiders claiming bosses will put contenders through a series of partner-swap chemistry tests to find the perfect on-screen match.
A source told The Sun: ‘Replacing Claudia and Tess is a mammoth task, but the BBC have whittled down the talent to ten people.
As well as Bradley, Alex and Alan, Rylan Clark, Rob Rinder, Zoe Ball, and Holly Willoughby will be at the chemistry day.
‘Amanda Holden, Alison Hammond, and Angela Scanlon have made the cut too.’
Oti worked on Strictly between 2013 and 2019 and won the show twice, praised the presenters for the work they did on the show (pictured on Strictly with Danny Mac)
Oti said: ‘Claudia and Tess are… I get emotional when I talk about it, because they are just so brilliant’
The insider added that the stars will be brought into a studio and placed into different pairings to see who has the strongest on-screen connection.
They explained that pairings could consist of two women, two men, or a mixed partnership, as Strictly bosses look to ‘mix things up’ and find a combination that hasn’t been tried before.
Daily Mail has contacted BBC for comment.
