Tess Daly shares emotional posts as she prepares for Strictly exit tonight

‘My heart is so full,’ wrote the presenter, who has been at the helm of the BBC competition for more than two decades

Tess Daly has shared a string of emotional social media posts as she prepares to exit Strictly Come Dancing after 21 years of hosting the show.

Tonight’s final, which will see Karen Carney, Amber Davies and George Clarke compete for the Glitterball trophy, marks Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s last ever live show, after they shocked the entertainment world earlier this year by revealing they are departing as hosts.

Posting on her Instagram Stories this morning, Daly shared a photo of her dressing room, which had been decorated with balloons and photos by the Strictly team, alongside the words: “Grateful for the best team on the last day it’s the FINAL!”

She also shared a series of photos on Friday (19 December) from rehearsals, including a huge group photo with the Strictly crew, and pictures of cakes decorated with Daly and Winkleman’s faces on them.

“My last day of rehearsals, my heart is so full, the Strictly family I’ll have forever,” she wrote, with a crying emoji.

In one of the photos, Daly could be seen smiling as she sat down surrounded by pictures from over the years stuck to the wall under a banner that read: “Thank you for the memories.”

Also on Friday, Daly’s husband Vernon Kay paid tribute to his wife on his BBC Radio 2 show, saying: “It’s Tess’s last Strictly on Saturday and I can't say too much because I’m going to get really emotional, but it’s been an amazing 21 years.

“She has been at the helm of that show with Bruce [Forsyth, who died in 2017 after co-hosting between 2004 to 2013] and with Claudia and it's been nothing but raucous fun. It’s been the favourite show of the nation for so long since it started and it’s seen our two kids arrive through the show as well.

“Phoebe was in the belly during the first series and now she’s 21. She's gonna be in the audience for the last show.”

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Of watching the final, he said: “I’ll try and hide my tears but I think that's gonna be virtually impossible from start to finish. Twenty one years it’s been in our family it’s bonkers, it really is.”

Speculation is rife over who could replace Daly and Winkleman on the show, with Zoe Ball and Alan Carr among the top names being touted.

The Strictly 2025 final airs tonight at 7pm on BBC One.