Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman to leave Strictly Come Dancing

Strictly Come Dancing presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have announced they will be leaving the show.

The pair made the announcement in a joint video shared on social media, saying they would enjoy the rest of the "amazing" current series before passing on "the very sparkly baton" to new hosts.

"After 21 unforgettable years, the time has come to say goodbye to Strictly Come Dancing," Daly wrote in a separate post on Instagram.

"Strictly has always been about joy, celebration and bringing people together - and I'm so proud to have played a small part in something that continues to mean so much to so many."

Winkleman also shared her own statement, saying: "I've always believed it's best to leave a party before you're fully ready to go, and I know the new hosts will be magnificent.

"I look forward to watching them take Strictly to new heights."

A BBC spokesperson confirmed the pair will leave at the end of the current series, with their last appearance together on screen due to be the Christmas Special on Christmas Day. Plans for next year's series "will be confirmed in due course", the spokesperson said.

Daly, 56, has presented Strictly since it first launched in 2004, starting alongside the late Sir Bruce Forsyth. Winkleman, 53, initially fronted its weekday companion show, It Takes Two, before moving on to host the Sunday night results show and then joining the main programme after Sir Bruce stepped down in 2014.

Winkleman and Daly picked up the entertainment programme prize at the BAFTA TV Awards last year, and were made Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King's Birthday Honours, for their services to broadcasting.

What have Daly and Winkleman said?

In their statements, the presenters praised the "most brilliant" team behind Strictly, as well as the millions of viewers who have watched the show over the years.

"We will cry when we say the last 'keep dancing'," they said, referencing their famous sign-off, "but we will continue to say it to each other. Just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza."

They also paid tribute to each other, with Daly telling her "beloved Claud" that it had been "an absolute joy and pleasure... sharing this adventure with you".

"I'm so so lucky I got to stand next to you," Winkleman said of Daly. "You're funny, kind, whip smart and a true friend and I love you."

What has the Strictly team said?

Kate Phillips, chief content officer for the BBC, described the presenting duo's departure as the "end of an era".

She said in a statement: "They've both been such incredible hosts at the very heart of the show, their passion and dedication has gone above and beyond.

"They've been integral to Strictly's success over the last 20 years, but I understand why they've decided it's time to hang up the glitter ball and get their weekends back."

Strictly's executive producer Sarah James added: "The Strictly Family is often referred to and these women are the matriarchs of that family. We have been together and supported each other for a long time - through pregnancies, births and deaths and to say we will all miss them terribly is an understatement."

The 23rd series of Strictly began in September, with celebrities including football star Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, presenter and TV personality Vicky Pattison, RuPaul's Drag Race UK star La Voix, and model and actress Ellie Goldstein taking part.

Dancers say goodbye

Several dancers and former contestants have sent best wishes to Winkleman and Daly following the announcement.

"We will miss you," wrote professional dancer Gorka Marquez, while Motsi Mabuse added underneath Winkleman's post: "Going to miss you so much! You're an icon and inspiration. Still in shock, but wishing you love and best wishes."

Former Strictly dancer AJ Pritchard said: "The claud-auditorium is always the highlight of every single performance. This is so sad. You are amazing."

Winkleman began her career as a TV and radio presenter and went on to front a range of shows, including Comic Relief and The Great British Sewing Bee. She is currently on screens hosting The Celebrity Traitors.

Daly first appeared on TV in 1999 as the host of The Big Breakfast's Find Me A Model competition and has also hosted Children In Need on several occasions.

Strictly is one of the BBC's highest-rated shows, but has been hit by controversy over the last few years.

Ahead of the launch of last year's series, the broadcaster said it would introduce new welfare measures, including the addition of production staff chaperones in rehearsals, following complaints about two of its former professional dancers.

In September, BBC director general Tim Davie was questioned by MPs on subjects including the corporation's Gaza documentary, its Glastonbury coverage, and the recent Gregg Wallace investigation, as well as this year's Strictly line-up.

(c) Sky News 2025: Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman to leave Strictly Come Dancing