A former Strictly Come Dancing contestant is reportedly one of the four frontrunners to host the 2026 series following the departure of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
The hunt for the duo’s replacement has been on since they left at the end of the latest series, and many names have been bandied around as contenders.
But after a week of filmed auditions, Irish presenter Angela Scanlon is said to have impressed bosses, becoming a “surprise hit”.
According to MailOnline, the other TV stars in the running are Rylan Clark, Emma Willis and Zoe Ball, who is currently the strong favourite.
“Angela did really well,” a source told the outlet. “The BBC said that this had to be all about the chemistry between the presenters and their ability to react to live comments and situations – and she shone.”
Former One Show host and BBC radio DJ Scanlon was a contestant on the 2023 series and finished in sixth place with dance partner Carlos Gu. She currently presents Apprentice aftershow You’re Fired – and has just been announced as Scott Mills’s replacement on this year’s Eurovision coverage.
The latest report appears to officially rule out other names that have been bandied about, including Bradley Walsh and Alison Hammond.
Meanwhile, Ball has been considered a clear favourite and, earlier this month, she teased she had something “glamorous” coming up, stating: “Obviously at the moment I can’t say anything about it.”
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The BBC told The Independent that plans for Strictly 2026 will be announced in due course, with preparations for the series underway.
Ball said in January that she would “love” to host the show, but added that she had not spoken to the show’s bosses. “I will still be watching, whoever hosts,” she said, adding that Alan Carr, Amanda Holden, Vernon Kay and Clark could be strong replacements.
Strictly will look a little different this year, following a shake-up of the professionals cast. Gorka Marquez announced this week he had left the show after 10 years, which followed the exits of Karen Hauer, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk and Michelle Tsiakkas.
It’s also been claimed that companion show It Takes Two will be refreshed to reflect changing audiences, much in the same way as happened with The Traitors: Uncloaked and The Apprentice: You’re Fired.
According to reports, the series will become a vodcast, meaning the hosts will film episodes for viewers and also record them for podcast listeners. It’s also been claimed that Janette Manrara and Fleur East will no longer present the show, but the BBC told The Independent last month: ”It is factually incorrect to claim that either has been axed.”
