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It’s been months since Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman shocked the country with news that they were leaving Strictly Come Dancing, and the rumour mill is still in overdrive speculating who will replace the presenting pair.
Daly, 56, and Winkleman, 54, stepped down for the BBC Saturday night show in December, with both having been involved with the programme since 2004. Speaking for the first time about the reason they had left, Winkleman said that she and Daly had decided to leave as Strictly “deserves new” and they wanted to “leave when we were on an absolute high”.
What that “new” might be, however, is clearly something BBC bosses are still undecided on. Daly and Winkleman were one of the rare female presenting duos on British television, and while some have called for this tradition to be continued, TV insider Richard Osman has suggested that all gender pairings are in the running.
And while Jack Whitehall was clearly joking when he “revealed” that Happy Mondays rockers Shaun Ryder and Mark “Bez” Berry were the new presenters live on air at the Brit Awards, it shows that the identities of Daly and Winkleman’s replacements is still a major point of gossip – and all to play for.
There are, however, some reported frontrunners. Here’s all the names reportedly in the running for the top job on Strictly.
Zoe Ball
Seen by many as the frontrunner for the Strictly job is Zoe Ball, who has a long-standing connection to the dance competition. Not only did she compete on the third ever series in 2005, but Ball took the reins on Strictly‘s long-standing companion show It Takes Two in 2011 when Winkleman left to join the main show. Ball, 55, stayed in that gig for 10 years before stepping down, and departed her BBC Radio 2 show towards the end of 2025. Asked about the speculation around who would take over the gig in a January interview with The Times, Ball said that she hadn’t spoken to the BBC about the role. “I think everyone’s name is being thrown into the mix,” she said, adding that Daly and Winkleman would be a “tough act to follow”. “Obviously, there’s part of me that would love to do it. But I will still be watching, whoever hosts it.”
Emma Willis
In February, reports claimed that Ball was in a two-horse race for the top job, competing against Emma Willis. The host of The Voice UK is said to be being considered for the more “traditional presenter” role – something BBC bosses are reportedly keen to have – with an insider telling The Sun: “It’s a straight shoot-out between Zoe, who is the front-runner, and Emma. Only one will get it, not both.” They also claimed that bosses wanted Willis or Ball to be partnered with “a more left-field person”, who would take on Winkleman’s role, like a female stand-up comedian. Willis, 49, who is married to Busted musician Matt Willis, has previously turned down the chance to compete on the show due to work commitments. When social media reality show The Circle UK was cancelled in 2021, she said: “If I had time, I would do it in a heartbeat… The Circle is not happening this year, but let’s hope The Voice is – otherwise I will be doing Strictly.”
Mel Giedroyc
She’s part of an all-female presenting duo herself, but it’s Mel Giedroyc and Mel Giedroyc alone (as opposed to with her comedy partner and former Bake Off co-host Sue Perkins) who’s been linked to the Strictly presenting gig. In February, reports emerged claiming that the Unforgivable presenter, 57, was being considered as a replacement for Winkleman, who is widely seen as Strictly‘s comic relief and speaks to the couples from the “Clauditorium” after their dances.
Anton du Beke
Having appeared on Strictly since the very beginning (back in 2004!), Anton Du Beke has already risen up the ranks, going from pro dancer to judge, while also singing with the late Bruce Forsyth on the show. Speaking in an interview with Chris Evans, Du Beke said that he “would” accept the presenting job if offered. His fellow judge Shirley Ballas confirmed this, telling The Independent that she knew the 59-year-old “would love to be hosting”, but suggested that the judges should “stay in [their] lane”.
Siân Welby
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The name of radio presenter Siân Welby, 39, was thrown into the mix last month, following a report in the Daily Mirror claiming that the Capital FM host (who is a stand-in presenter on This Morning) was being considered to allow Strictly to court a younger audience. “Siân might be less well-known than other names linked with Tess and Claudia’s jobs so far. But she’s got everything it takes with one special ingredient – a younger audience, thanks to her job on trendy Capital FM,” an insider told the publication.
Rylan
One of the frontrunners is former X Factor star turned presenter Rylan. While Rylan, 37, has admitted to turning down the chance to compete on the show in the past, he does have a connection to the Strictly Cinematic Universe as a former host of It Takes Two. Rylan joined the show in 2019, initially co-presenting with Ball – who suggested he could be a good fit for the job – and later former pro dancer Janette Manrara. Rylan left It Takes Two in 2022, and while he’s not commented on whether he could take on the top job, he did comment that whoever took over from Winkleman would have “shoes as big as the fringe to fill”.
Alex Jones
Like Ball, Alex Jones is a former Strictly contestant – she reached the semi-final in 2011 – reportedly in the running for the glittering job. The One Show host’s name was mentioned by Richard Osman, who revealing that industry insiders had told him “with absolute certainty” that she and Bradley Walsh had been chosen. And while Osman added that he didn’t believe this rumour to be true as the presenters hadn’t been picked yet, Holden did offer her support for the Welsh presenter, 48, taking on the role. “I quite like the idea of Alex Jones as well,” she said. “She does The One Show and is a very good anchor and has a dry sense of humour, and I don’t see her enough. She’s not been overlooked, but you don’t see enough of her on TV. She would be a really good choice.”
Bradley Walsh
Jones’s name has largely been mentioned for the gig alongside The Chase presenter Bradley Walsh. It would be a piece of brand synergy, as Walsh, 65, co-hosts one of the BBC’s other flagship Saturday night shows, the Gladiators reboot, with his son Barney. But while Walsh’s name is clearly being mentioned, Osman was insistent that it wasn’t the pair as the presenters taking over from Daly and Winkleman hadn’t been chosen – at least not yet. “I was like, ‘I don’t think they are hosting Strictly,’” he said of the rumours in January. “They have not decided who’s going to host Strictly.”
Janette Manrara
Janette Manrara’s connections to Strictly go deep. The American dancer joined the show in 2013 alongside her husband, fellow pro Aljaž Škorjanec, and came second in her final year with singer HRVY. In 2021, she took over on It Takes Two from Ball, which she now co-hosts with Fleur East. Asked if she’d want to present the show in an interview with Woman and Home magazine, Manrara, 42, said: “To be honest, I keep giving the same answer: who doesn’t want that job? If you love fun, family entertainment that makes people’s hearts smile, it’s the dream job. So, I think anybody that is in my field would love to do it, so we’ll just see. We’ll see what happens!”
Angela Scanlon
Irish presenter Angela Scanlon competed on Strictly in 2023 with pro dancer Carlos Gu, and has been linked to the hosting gig since Daly and Winkleman announced their departure. Osman was one of the TV figures to mention Scanlon, 42, to which she told the Metro: “To be uttered in the same breath as Tess and Claudia, who I admire so much? It’s phenomenal.” Previously, she’d praised the presenters for their “most amazing dynamic”, saying: “There’s lots of different things to play for, but I would certainly answer the call.”
Fleur East
Manrara’s It Takes Two co-host, Fleur East has been one of the bookies’ favourites to take over the Strictly main show as a presenter. She’s got the experience in live TV, having first risen to fame as a contestant on The X Factor in 2014 before competing (and reaching the final) on Strictly in 2022. The “Sax” singer, 38, joined the companion show as a presenter the following year.
