Fleur East has admitted she’s been left “kind of bothered” after not even being considered as one of the new presenters of Strictly Come Dancing.
The singer and presenter has co-hosted Strictly spin-off It Takes Two since 2023 and was rumoured to be in the running to replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman following their exit.
However, amid claims Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe are set to become the new faces of the BBC show, Fleur has now revealed she was never actually in contention for the role – despite being part of the Strictly family.
And while she previously insisted she was happy for whoever landed the job, Fleur has now admitted the ‘snub’ has left her upset.
Fleur East breaks silence on new Strictly presenters
After Zoe Ball revealed she was “grieving” after reportedly being rejected for the role, Fleur shared her own feelings during her Hits Radio Breakfast Show.
Fleur explained: “I did say initially, after Tess and Claudia announced they were leaving Strictly you know, it’s probably not going to happen [for me] and I’m happy for whoever gets it.”
However, she admitted her feelings changed after reports suggested Emma Willis had landed the job.
“We were just talking about Emma Willis being announced and I was like: ‘Yeah, great, amazing,’ and I’ve kind of lied to myself that I’d be all right with not doing it or not being considered for the job. But I’m kind of bothered.”
“I think it’s okay to admit that. And I think it’s okay to admit that being faced with the opportunity of such an incredible job. I mean, it’s an amazing show.”
‘They might call me one day…’
Fleur then admitted she’d secretly hoped her links to the BBC series might eventually help her land the main presenting gig.
She said she was proud to have been “a part of the family” as both a contestant in 2022 and a presenter on It Takes Two. However, she confessed it also made the role feel “within touching distance”.
“I never allowed myself to really go fully there, but I did think about it. I was like, that would be amazing. So yeah, I guess I have been lying to myself when I’ve been saying: ‘I’m fine. I’m coming to terms with it.’”
She continued: “I was okay before it was kind of confirmed that someone’s got the job. Until it was confirmed, I was like, well, they might call me one day. They might do all the tests and they go: ‘Actually, yeah. We haven’t seen Fleur. Let’s give her a little call.’ But it’s gone to the right person.”
Strictly stars Fleur and Janette ‘lose’ It Takes Two jobs
As well as reportedly missing out on the main Strictly hosting role, Fleur is also said to be facing the end of her time on It Takes Two. She’s been on the show since 2023.
Reports have claimed both Fleur and co-host Janette Manrara have lost their jobs on the spin-off show. It comes as part of a major overhaul.
The companion series is rumoured to be returning in a completely different format. Speculation suggests it could relaunch as a visual podcast.
Adding fuel to the rumours, both Fleur and Janette have reportedly removed “#Strictly It Takes Two” from their Instagram bios.
Read more: Painful health condition that forced Gorka Marquez’s Strictly exit
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