Claudia Winkleman has admitted there will be two 'big misses' from Strictly Come Dancing's new series, after a pair of the show's most popular dancers quit earlier this year.
There are now just a few weeks to go until the BBC smash hit and national treasure returns for another year, with Claudia once again teaming up with Tess Daly to host. Craig Revel-Horwood, Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke and Motsi Mabuse will be back on the judging panel and Strictly pro dancers, including Amy Dowden, Kai Widdrington and reigning champion Giovanni Pernice.
However, two much loved stars who won't be foxtrotting into the Strictly ballroom this year are Oti Mabuse and Aljaz Škorjanec, with both having quit the programme earlier this year. And, speaking on The One Show about the new series, presenter Claudia addressed their exits, saying: "I know, we’re going to miss them so much."
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It was Oti who was first to announce she was saying goodbye to Strictly, having won twice in consecutive years; with Kelvin Fletcher in 2019 and then with Bill Bailey a year later. Speculation was rife that Oti would be making a permanent switch to ITV after she joined Dancing on Ice as judge.
Just a short time after, she confirmed her Strictly exit on Instagram, writing: "I’m honestly so grateful to The BBC and will always remember that Strictly and BBC brought me to the UK - which I now call home and I have learnt and grown so much. - Thank You from the bottom of my heart.
"I can’t put in to words how difficult this decision has been, but I have decided not to return for the next series."
Aljaz, who won the Glitterball with Abbey Clancy in 2013, followed Oti out of the Strictly fold in March, revealing how nervous he'd been when he first got the job, posting: "It didn’t matter how many beautiful ballrooms I performed in during my competitive career, stepping onto the sacred Strictly floor was the most nervous I had ever been."
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