Strictly Come Dancing hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly have announced they will leave the show after the current series – and the bookies are already sharing predictions about the most likely contenders to replace them.
Daly, 56, has hosted the show for 21 years, while Winkleman, 53, joined as co-presenter on the main show in 2014, having previously hosted the Sunday night results show.
Follow the latest updates as Winkleman and Daly step down as hosts
“We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream,” the pair said in a statement. “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.”
Here are all of the broadcasting stars bookmakers think could replace the duo on the BBC dance competition for the next series.
Paddy McGuinness
Former Take Me Out presenter Paddy McGuinness could be another frontrunner to replace Winkleman, according to reports. MailOnline reports that BBC bosses are eyeing the presenter due to his light-hearted tone, which would work well for interviewing the Strictly contestants.
McGuinness currently hosts a Sunday show on BBC Radio 2 alongside the Channel 4 reality show Tempting Fortune. He has fronted shows for the BBC before – as a co-presenter on Top Gear and Question of Sport.
Zoe Ball
Radio 2 presenter Zoe Ball is the 2-1 favourite to be booked to present the show. Ball previously hosted the show’s companion programme It Takes Two from 2011 to 2021, as well as fronting the live tours in 2011 and 2015.
“Zoe Ball is no stranger to the Strictly family, and we make the former It Takes Two host the favourite to replace Tess Daly next year,” said Coral’s John Hill. Meanwhile, Ladbrokes puts the star at 4-1.
Ball stepped down from her Radio 2 Breakfast Show slot after six years in 2024, and currently presents Saturday lunchtimes on the same channel.
Janette Manrara and Fleur East
The current It Takes Two presenters Janette Manrara, who was a Strictly pro dancer from 2013 to 2021, and Fleur East, who competed on the second series of The X Factor, are backed with 3-1 and 4-1 odds respectively.
Meanwhile, Ladbrokes puts the Strictly duo at 3-1 and 2-1 each to take over fronting the show.
Rylan Clark
Former season nine X Factor contestant and broadcaster Rylan Clark, who also hosted It Takes Two from 2019 to 2022, is 5-1, with Coral saying they have seen some “early support” for the star to become a Strictly host.
As well as It Takes Two, Clark fronted Big Brother’s Bit on the Side from 2013 to 2018, and regularly appears on This Morning to cover for the permanent hosts.
Stacey Dooley
Journalist Stacey Dooley, who won the 2018 Strictly series alongside her now-husband Kevin Clifton, has been pinpointed by Ladbrokes as a potential star to take over fronting the show, with 4-1 odds.
Dooley rose to fame as a participant in the 2008 documentary series Blood, Sweat and T-shirts. She went on to front numerous documentaries, including Face to Face with Isis and Migrant Kids in Crisis.
Roman Kemp
Ladbrokes has named Capital FM breakfast host and The One Show presenter Roman Kemp as the early favourite to take over fronting Strictly, with 6/4 odds.
The son of Spandau Ballet musician Martin Kemp, the 32-year-old joined Capital Radio in 2014 and gained further recognition with an appearance on I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2019.
Alex Scott
The former Lionesses star turned TV presenter has established herself as a dependable hand at the BBC, primarily covering the broadcaster’s football coverage. She has hosted Football Focus since 2021 and is also a regular guest host on The One Show. The 41-year-old is also a former Strictly contestant, finishing an impressive fifth in the 2019 series. Scott’s chances of returning to the ballroom as a host are placed at 4/1.
Maya Jama
The Love Island host would be considered an outsider for the role, having been a popular mainstay on ITV since 2023. However, she did work for the BBC between 2018 and 2020, hosting an eponymous show on Radio 1. As well as Love Island, she is also on the judging panel for The Masked Singer and is involved in Sky Sports Baller League so has a lot on her plate and is therefore considered an outsider at 8/1.
Stacey Solomon
Could Stacey Solomon be an outside pick for the Strictly hosting role? The 36-year-old has cemented herself as a popular figure on UK TV since her appearances on The X-Factor in 2009 and then I’m a Celebrity in 2010. On top of presenting several lifestyle shows, some with her husband Joe Swash, Solomon is also a regular panellist on Loose Women. The 36-year-old currently has 7/1 odds.
Emma Willis
Willis would be a wise and very astute hire from the BBC. The 49-year-old has an impressive CV having worked as the main host for Big Brother and Celebrity Big Brother between 2013 and 2018. She also hosts the BBC’s singing competition The Voice UK and, in 2024, joined Netflix’s Love Is Blind: UK, which she co-hosts with her husband Matt Willis. She currently has 10/1 odds, though, so is considered an outsider.
Alison Hammond
Would there be a better and more popular choice than Alison Hammond as the new Strictly host? The 50-year-old has presented the Great British Bake Off with Noel Fielding since 2023 and is one of the regular hosts on ITV’s This Morning. Hammond would undoubtedly bring a unique energy and a spark of comedy to Strictly but is also an outsider for the part, with 12/1 odds.
Holly Willoughby
With decades of experience under her belt, Willoughby would be a very strong contender for the Strictly job. The former This Morning and Dancing on Ice presenter currently has 6/1 odds to replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman in the ballroom. The 44-year-old’s most recent jobs include the 2024 revamp of game show You Bet! and Netflix’s Celebrity Bear Hunt.
Hannah Waddingham
An unlikely choice for the role is actor, singer and TV presenter Hannah Waddingham, who currently has impressive odds of 3/1 for the role. The 51-year-old’s presenting credentials include the Eurovision Song Contest. Still, she is better known for her acting parts, most notably Ted Lasso, Benidorm, Game of Thrones and Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. Waddingham would be no stranger to Strictly’s glitz and glamour and would definitely add some major star power to the show.
Alan Carr
Somewhat predictably, TV sources are alleging that the BBC is scrambling to recruit Alan Carr to Strictly role after entertaining viewers on The Celebrity Traitors. Odds are expected to shorten for Carr, who won the game show, with a source telling The Mirror: “More people are watching Alan than are watching Strictly right now. He's been catapulted to the A-list.” He currently has odds of 6/1.
