Tess Daly Reflects on 21 Years of Cringeworthy Strictly Looks

Tess Daly only has a handful of shows left before bowing out as host of Strictly Come Dancing after 21 years.

And feeling in a nostalgic mood, the BBC presenter reflected on some of her favourite fashion moments on Wednesday.

Tess, shared an Instagram video as she dissected some of her most memorable ensembles from the show’s archives.

Whilst there were some dresses she admitted she loves and would ‘revisit’ she confessed others ‘are better left in the wardrobe.’

One photo showed the glam star posing with her first Strictly co-host Bruce Forsyth, who died in 2017. Tess, 56, spilled some behind the scenes secrets from the 2004 shot which was used to promote her first series of the show. 

The photo showed the presenter hugging Bruce whilst wearing what looked like a chic backless gown but Tess confessed she was actually hiding a major wardrobe malfunction. 

Tess Daly only has a handful of shows left before bowing out as host of Strictly and feeling in a nostalgic mood, the BBC presenter reflected on some of her favourte fashion moments

Tess, shared an Instagram video as she dissected some of her most memorable ensembles from the show’s archives

‘I was eight and a half months pregnant with Phoebe and the stylist didn’t have any dresses that would fit me,’ she revealed. 

‘They were all like a size eight and ten and bless her, I couldn’t zip any of them up because I had this huge baby belly and so I had to do a back shot because that dress was half unzipped down the back.’

Other photos showed Tess with her current co-host Claudia Winkleman, who is also leaving the show at the end of the 2025 series.

One memory from their early days of presenting together, showed Tess looking unrecognisable with darker locks, to which the blonde beauty quipped: ‘Look at me with my mousy locks. Gosh bit shy of a peroxide there wasn’t I? Claud looks adorable and she literally looks 12.’

She also cringed at another hair style, which showed her with a dramatic up-do. ‘There’s that hair again, really, really high. I think I’m about three inches shorter without that bouffant,’ she laughed. 

Tess and Claudia announced they are leaving Strictly back in October. Their final show will be the pre-recorded Christmas special which airs on Christmas Day.

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, 54, joined the main show the same year having hosted BBC2 spin-off It Takes Two since 2004.  

But despite Claudia being seen as the sidekick for the past 11 years, the presenter’s stock has rocketed since enjoying success on fellow BBC1 show The Traitors, plus new spin-off Celebrity Traitors, and according to some, is keen to explore opportunities away from Strictly.

Tess spilled some behind the scenes secrets from a 2004 shot which was used to promote her first series of the show alongside Bruce Forsyth

Tess and Claudia announced they are leaving Strictly back in October. Their final show will be the pre-recorded Christmas special which airs on Christmas Day 

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.

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.