Strictly Come Dancing: Who are the rumoured names to replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman?

Tonight’s grand final will mark the pair’s last time presenting the BBC shiny floor show

Strictly Come Dancing hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly shocked the entertainment world this autumn when they announced they will leave the show after the current series.

Daly, 56, has hosted the series for 21 years, while Winkleman, 53, joined as co-presenter on the main show in 2014, having previously hosted the Sunday night results show.

“We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream,” the pair said in a statement. “We were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time.

“We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series and we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to every single person who works on the show. They’re the most brilliant team and we’ll miss them every day.”

Ever since the announcement was made, speculation has been rife as to who could step into the hosts’ shoes, and who could possibly live up to the brilliant combination of Daly’s poised elegance and Winkleman’s joyful sense of chaos.

Ahead of tonight’s grand final, here are all the names being rumoured to replace Daly and Winkleman on next year’s series.

Zoe Ball

Strictly Come Dancing fans have backed Zoe Ball to present the primetime show after the star announced her decision to step down from Radio 2 earlier this month.

Ball – who last year quit hosting the coveted breakfast show to focus on family after her mother’s death – has presented a Saturday afternoon show on the radio station since May, but is now leaving the station altogether.

She would be a natural choice as Strictly host. She competed on the show in 2005 – finishing in third place with her professional partner Ian Waite, and later hosted spin-off show It Takes Two for a decade, taking over from Winkleman when the Traitors host started presenting the main series. The presenter also fronted the live tours in 2011 and 2015.

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

Zoe Ball (Getty)

Paddy McGuinness

Former Take Me Out presenter Paddy McGuinness could be another frontrunner. MailOnline reports that BBC bosses are eyeing the presenter due to his light-hearted presenting style.

Paddy McGuinness could be another choice (Getty Images for Paramount Pictu)

McGuinness currently hosts a Sunday show on BBC Radio 2 alongside the Channel 4 reality show Tempting Fortune. He has fronted shows for the BBC before – as a co-presenter on Top Gear and Question of Sport.

Janette Manrara and Fleur East

The current It Takes Two presenters Janette Manrara, who was a Strictly pro dancer from 2013 to 2021, and Fleur East, who competed on the second series of The X Factor, are being touted for the roles.

‘It Takes Two’ co-hosts Fleur East and Janette Manrara are in the running (BBC)

Rylan Clark

Former season nine X Factor contestant and broadcaster Rylan Clark, who also hosted It Takes Two from 2019 to 2022, is also a rumoured name.

As well as It Takes Two, Clark fronted Big Brother’s Bit on the Side from 2013 to 2018, and regularly appears on This Morning to cover for the permanent hosts.

Rylan Clark has also been named as a potential host (Getty)

Stacey Dooley

Journalist Stacey Dooley, who won the 2018 Strictly series alongside her now-husband Kevin Clifton, could be up for the job.

Dooley rose to fame as a participant in the 2008 documentary series Blood, Sweat and T-shirts. She went on to front numerous documentaries, including Face to Face with Isis and Migrant Kids in Crisis.

Former ‘Strictly’ winner Stacey Dooley is another favourite for the role (BBC)

Roman Kemp

Capital FM breakfast host and The One Show presenter Roman Kemp could be in the running.

The son of Spandau Ballet musician Martin Kemp, the 32-year-old joined Capital Radio in 2014 and gained further recognition with an appearance on I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2019.

Radio host Roman Kemp has also been named as a potential replacement (BBC)

Alex Scott

The former Lionesses star turned TV presenter has established herself as a dependable hand at the BBC, primarily covering the broadcaster’s football coverage. She has hosted Football Focus since 2021 and is also a regular guest host on The One Show. The 41-year-old is also a former Strictly contestant, finishing an impressive fifth in the 2019 series.

Alex Scott would be an experienced and likeable replacement as Strictly host (Getty Images)

Maya Jama

The Love Island host would be considered an outsider for the role, having been a popular mainstay on ITV since 2023. However, she did work for the BBC between 2018 and 2020, hosting an eponymous show on Radio 1. As well as presenting Love Island, she is also on the judging panel for The Masked Singer and is involved in Sky Sports Baller League so has a lot on her plate.

Jama would be an outside choice for Strictly (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

Stacey Solomon

Could Stacey Solomon be an outside pick for the Strictly hosting role? The 36-year-old has cemented herself as a popular figure on UK TV since her appearances on The X-Factor in 2009 and then I’m a Celebrity in 2010. On top of presenting several lifestyle shows, some with her husband Joe Swash, Solomon is also a regular panellist on Loose Women.

Stacey Solomon would bring a different and bubbly atmosphere to ‘Strictly’ (BBC)

Emma Willis

Willis would be a wise and very astute hire from the BBC. The 49-year-old has an impressive CV having worked as the main host for Big Brother and Celebrity Big Brother between 2013 and 2018. She also hosts the BBC’s singing competition The Voice UK and, in 2024, joined Netflix’s Love Is Blind: UK, which she co-hosts with her husband Matt Willis.

Willis has been a regular on UK TV since 2002 (Getty)

Alison Hammond

Would there be a better and more popular choice than Alison Hammond as the new Strictly host? The 50-year-old has presented the Great British Bake Off with Noel Fielding since 2023 and is one of the regular hosts on ITV’s This Morning. Hammond would undoubtedly bring a unique energy and a spark of comedy to Strictly.

Hammond first came to the public’s attention in 2002 as a contestant on ‘Big Brother’ (Getty Images for the NTA's)

Holly Willoughby

With decades of experience under her belt, Willoughby would be a very strong contender for the Strictly job. The former This Morning and Dancing on Ice presenter’s most recent jobs include the 2024 revamp of game show You Bet! and Netflix’s Celebrity Bear Hunt.

Holly Willoughby would be a strong and recognisable addition to Strictly (PA Archive)

Hannah Waddingham

Singer and TV presenter Hannah Waddingham is one of the names that has been rumoured. The 51-year-old’s presenting credentials include the Eurovision Song Contest. Still, she is better known for her acting parts, most notably Ted Lasso, Benidorm, Game of Thrones and Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. Waddingham would be no stranger to Strictly’s glitz and glamour and would definitely add some major star power to the show.

'Ted Lasso' star Hannah Waddingham has been suggested for the Strictly role (Getty Images)

Alan Carr

Alan Carr proved a big it on ‘Celebrity Traitors’ (BBC)

Alan Carr, so popular from his stint on The Celebrity Traitors, would be a cracking choice to present Strictly.

He’s got years of presenting experience from his show Chatty Man, which ran from 2009 to 2016. And he has also been a growing fan-favourite thanks to appearances on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, RuPaul's Drag Race UK and Amanda and Alan’s Italian Job.