Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly for the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special 2025 / BBC
The BBC reportedly made a decision on the new hosts for Strictly Come Dancing in a meeting on Friday.
Producers have been scouting new presenters ahead of this year’s series following the departure of long-term hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly last year – with reports suggesting that they are looking for a male-female pairing as the main hosts, with a female comedian overseeing proceedings in the ‘Clauditorium’.
Screen tests of potential presenter pairings have been held in central London over the last week – with those in the frame thought to include Alex Jones, Angela Scanlon, Bradley Walsh, Emma Willis, Fleur East, Rylan Clark and Zoe Ball.
A source told The Sun on Friday: “[Thursday] was the final day of screen tests, so bosses have tried out lots of different combinations of hosts together and today they are sitting down to make the decision.
“They want it done and dusted this week. The announcement may not come for a few more weeks, because obviously contracts will need to be signed but the powers that be will be naming who they want in closed-door meetings as we speak.
“It’s all very exciting. This has been speculated about for months, so for the producers to be making their final decision feels monumental.
“They really didn’t want to get this wrong, which is why it’s been such a long drawn-out process. Everyone who has auditioned and been invited for screen tests is on tenterhooks, they just want to know now.”
Other changes for the new series will include an influx of new professional dancers as well as a reimagining of the companion show It Takes Two as a vodcast.
