Mel Giedroyc is reportedly being eyed up by Strictly Come Dancing bosses to replace Claudia Winkleman.
The comedian and former Bake Off host, 57, is said to be a favourite to fill the role after Winkleman left the BBC dancing competition in December.
Winkleman, 54, and her longtime co-host Tess Daly, 56, bid farewell to the ballroom last year, with Winkleman stating at the time that it had been the “greatest relationship” of her career.
Now, Giedroyc is reportedly being lined up as the next Winkleman thanks to her “gentle touch” and humourous nature that can help to “relieve tension”.
“The Clauditorium is the section where the dancers go to receive their scores from the judges and decompress after their routines,” a source told The Sun.
“So it needs to be hosted by someone with a gentle touch, who can use humour to relieve the tension.”
They added: “Mel is seen as a great swap for Claudia as they're both smart, funny, and have a reputation within the TV world for being easy to work with.”
The insider said that Giedroyc and Winkleman are similar in that they both have the “right balance of confidence and self-deprecation” and are “highly professional” and “well-liked by the public”.
The Standard has contacted Strictly and Giedroyc’s representatives for comment.
Giedroyc won over viewers while hosting The Great British Bake Off alongside longtime pal, comedian Sue Perkins, from 2010 to 2016.
She is also familiar to Strictly fans, having previously hosted the Strictly Live tour and competed in a Christmas special of the dancing show in 2021.
As for Daly’s replacement, The Sun on Sunday recently claimed it’s a race between Zoe Ball and Emma Willis.
A BBC spokesman said: “Plans for Strictly Come Dancing 2026 will be announced in due course.”
Last month, Ball said she would “love” to host the show, amid mounting speculation that she is a frontrunner.
She told the Sunday Times: “Obviously there’s part of me that would love to do it. But I will still be watching, whoever hosts it.
“At the moment I am in mourning for Tess and Claud because I love those girls. I think everyone’s name is being thrown into the mix.
“I love that show. I loved performing on it with Ian Waite, who is one of my best buddies.
“It’s so joyful, and it’s live telly, which is another thing that people don’t give the girls enough credit for. That show is a beast. Whoever gets to do it has a tough act to follow.”
Ball hosted Strictly’s sister show It Takes Two for 10 series between 2011 and 2020, having appeared as a contestant on the show in series three in 2005, when she finished in third place with her professional partner Ian Waite.
She also stepped in as the main show’s host for a number of weeks in 2014 to replace Winkleman, who had to take time off to look after one of her children.
Meanwhile, another favourite, Holly Willoughby, is now reportedly out of the running to become a host.
The former This Morning host, 44, seemed to tease the rumours about the role when asked in November what she’s doing with her free time, saying with a smile: “At the moment, I’m just having a lovely time at home watching Strictly.”
However, Willoughby has reportedly been ruled out of the hosting line-up due to her association with her longtime former This Morning co-host, Phillip Schofield.
Her “TV brother” left the ITV daytime show in 2023 after having an “unwise affair” with a young showrunner.
Other contenders for the job were Alan Carr and Amanda Holden, although they recently revealed they were offered the role and turned it down.
