A BBC boss has revealed the real reason Strictly hosts Tess Daly announced they would be leaving the show halfway through the 2025 series.
Last month, Tess and Claudia shocked fans that they would be walking away from hosting duties. The pair said it “feels the right time” for them. They also admitted they have “loved working as a duo”.
BBC boss reveals why Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announced their departure suddenly
With many viewers wondering why the news came about so suddenly, BBC’s Chief Content Officer Kate Phillips has explained why.
During an appearance on Richard Osman and Marina Hyde’s The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, she said: “That was very much Tess and Claudia’s decision. They did ring me to sort of tell me what they were thinking, but I think they were worried it was going to leak. So, which we often have.”
“So they wanted to very much announce it on their own terms. But you know, they are brilliant, brilliant hosts of that show and they have sparkly high heels that are going to be hard to fill, definitely.”
Tess and Claudia’s replacement doesn’t need to be a ‘really big name’
When asked about how the BBC are going about finding their replacements, Kate said the production team are “concentrating on getting two shows out a week”, stating: “We haven’t got time at the moment to start doing any screen tests or chemistry testing”.
“We’ve got time. I don’t think we’ll really be looking at it until the new year because we want to make sure that we deliver a great Strictly series. Having said that, yes, my inbox has been inundated. So I mean, I can’t say names obviously, yes, but it is one of the best gigs in television,” she continued.
Kate admitted the show has “so many people are keen to be considered”. However, with Tess and Claudia having “such a strong relationship”, Kate noted it will be “hard just to sort of hire someone cold without seeing how they are with the other person”.
Even though Tess and Claudia are very established, she noted their replacement doesn’t need to be “a really big name”.
Read more: Strictly Come Dancing star Vicky Pattison emotional over husband’s elimination video
The Strictly Come Dancing Blackpool special airs on BBC One on Saturday (November 22) at 6.35pm.
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