With Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman confirming that they will be stepping down from Strictly Come Dancing after this year speculation is rife over who will take over the coveted roles
Tess Daly choked back tears as she addressed her exit from the Strictly Come Dancing live on air alongside fellow soon to be ex host Claudia Winkleman.
It was a night of high drama that saw La Voix crack a number of jokes about the off-screen upset. While Vicky Pattison ruled herself out of the running for the newly vacant hosting roles.
Vicky said she was unsuitable to front the show, due to the family friendly element. She said this week: “If they wanted me and and (fellow contestant) Angela Scanlon to do it, they’d have to move it post-watershed, that’s for sure. But of course we would love it.”
Vicky also shared that she thinks the end of Tess and Claudia’s stint fronting the show is “devastating news” for viewers, but she does think the pair “deserve” to ge their weekends back. She told The Sun on Sunday: “My husband sent me through Tess’s statements. It’s devastating news. Tess and Claudia are such consummate professionals, beautiful women inside and out.
“But I bet they’re looking forward to weekends at home with their families. It’s well deserved.” Tess, 56, and Claudia, 53, shared a joint statement confirming their exit earlier this week as they admitted they had always planned “to leave together”.
In the joint statement issued on Thursday (October 23), they said: “We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream. 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.
“We will cry when we say the last ‘keep dancing’ but we will continue to say it to each other. Just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza. Tess and Claud.”
Now several stars have been tipped as their successors, but with Vicky ruling herself out, who else might get the job?
Fleur East and Janette Manrara
Current favourites for the role thanks to already co-hosting Strictly It Takes Two, Fleur and Janette are topping the bookies odds at 3/1 for taking over on the main show. Other stars tipped to take over at 3/1 include Zoe Ball and Hannah Waddingham, who has already presented Eurovision and the Olivier Awards.
Roman Kemp
Roman already has a strong presence on the BBC thanks to his hosting gig on The One Show. He has the potential to bring a fresh audience and change of image to the series and could help take it in a new direction if producers decide to mix things up a little. His odds are 5/1.
Rylan Clark
Having hosted It Takes Two as well as being true professional with heaps of experience in a live TV setting, Rylan could be an obvious choice to take over. His quick wit and humour and general popularity with audiences at whatever he turns his hand to are also a bonus for bosses. He is currently sitting at 5/1.
Emma Willis
Emma is no stranger to the pressures of hosting a live show and has long been a fan-favourite at whatever she turns her hand to. With her recent stint co-hosting Love Is Blind alongside husband Matt Willis her decades of experience as a trusted face on TV has placed her at 10/1. We could even see a husband and wife pairing if Matt joined her.
Rose Ayling-Ellis
Former EastEnders star and Glitterball winner Rose was a huge hit with viewers when she cruised to victory with Giovanni Pernice. Her popularity makes her an obvious choice and a former successful contestant returning to front the series would be a wonderful touch. Her odds currently stand at 12/1.
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