Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman make confession about their final Strictly episode

Daly says that she genuinely hasn’t had time to think about her and Winkleman’s impending exit

Long-serving Strictly Come Dancing hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly have revealed they anticipate an emotional farewell during next week’s grand finale, marking their departure from the beloved BBC competition.

The duo, who have co-hosted the flagship Saturday night show since 2014, previously announced their exit, with the Christmas special on December 25 set to be their final appearance.

Speaking on Strictly’s sister show, It Takes Two, on Tuesday, both presenters admitted the reality of their imminent departure had yet to fully sink in.

Asked by host Fleur East if the gravity of the situation had hit them, Daly replied: "The short answer is no. I genuinely haven’t had time to think about it, because we’ve been so into this series, so absorbed by it – it’s such a brilliant series that all of our focus is on that, really. So I think it’d be a bit of a shock on the 20th. I might get emotional."

Winkleman echoed her co-host’s sentiments, adding "I think we will be emotional, but of course, it won’t be about us. It’ll be about the winners."

Daly then interjected, "So we’re not allowed to cry," to which Winkleman firmly responded, "We’re not," before adding: "But afterwards, we will hold each other very tight and cry. Because it’s a lot."

Tess and Claudia’s final Strictly episode will be the Christmas Day special (BBC)

Daly, 56, has been an integral part of the series since its inception in 2004, initially presenting alongside the late Sir Bruce Forsyth. Winkleman, 53, first fronted the weekday companion show, It Takes Two, before joining Daly on the main Saturday night programme in 2014, following Sir Bruce’s departure.

Their significant contributions to entertainment were recently recognised with the entertainment programme gong at the Bafta TV Awards in 2024, and both were made Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours for their services to broadcasting.

In the latest results show, West End star Amber Davies and her dance partner Nikita Kuzmin were saved by the judges after finding themselves in the bottom two. Former Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope and professional dancer Katya Jones were ultimately eliminated.

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Davies now joins EastEnders actress Balvinder Sopal, internet personality George Clarke, and former Lioness and sports broadcaster Karen Carney as the semi-finalists.

These couples are set to perform two new routines each during next weekend’s semi-final, airing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 6`:35pm on Saturday, with the results show following at 7:45pm on Sunday. The semi-final will also feature performances from Australian singer Kylie Minogue and boyband Five.

Separately, Winkleman attended an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle earlier on Tuesday, where she was officially presented with her MBE by the King. She was accompanied by her mother, author and journalist Eve Pollard, her father, former publisher Barry Winkleman, and her husband, film producer Kris Thykier.