Tess Daly gave a telling hint that change was afoot at live Strictly Come Dancing show just before she and Claudia Winkelman announced that they are to step down from the hit show
Tess Daly is thought to have given telling hint that change was afoot at live show recording just before she and Claudia Winkelman announced that they are to step down from Strictly Come Dancing.
The TV star, 56, has fronted the BBC favourite since 2004, and initially featured alongside the late Sir Bruce Forsyth before she was joined by Claudia in 2010. The pair sent shockwaves throughout the television world on Thursday when they told their millions of viewers they were quitting.
In a joint statement they said: “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!”
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While many fans – and even the stars of the show – appeared to be blindsided by the announcement, one superfan who was in the audience for last week’s live recording, claimed to notice some signs that change was coming.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, they said: “I didn’t suspect anything was afoot when I was bustled into the BBC studios at 4pm to watch the show, but looking back, perhaps there were signs. They had warned us that filming could take up until 11pm but it was more like 11.30pm when things finally wrapped.
“I am a huge Tess Daly fan, but she didn’t quite seem like her bubbly self. It was like she had lots on her mind. She seemed a bit distracted and kept fluffing her lines during the results show, so she had to retake them. She told the audience: ‘I don’t normally mess up…'”
They added: “No doubt she was being too hard on herself, ever the professional, she does way more than just present. She really knows her stuff and it’s clear when you watch her present that she almost takes on a producer-type role.
“She offers suggestions on where to stand or ad-libbing, and I frequently saw her chatting to members of the crew between takes.”
Tess and Claudia announced their decision to quit Strictly as the show’s hosts. In the initial announcement, which consisted of a video of the pair sitting next to one another, Claudia began with: “Hi it’s Claud and Tess. There have been some rumblings and we want you to hear this from us…”
Tess added: “Yeah we have news. After 21 wonderfully joyful years on Strictly we have decided the time is right to step aside and pass on the baton…”
“The very sparkly baton…” Claudia continued before she turned to Tess and said: “You’ve been here since the beginning…” Tess then replied: “2004 with Brucey – lovely Bruce. That’s over two decades ago and a lot of that time has been with you. It’s been a huge part of our lives, hasn’t it? Since our children were literally babes in arms and now they’re young adults and I think, genuinely we have cherished every second.”
Claudia added: “We have, we’re so lucky to have been part of this amazing show and we just want to thank the Strictly team because Strictly is the people who make it so thank you…” Tess agreed: “They are the very best team in television we’ve been so lucky.
“And the audience as well, they’ve been so wonderful. They’ve been with us for this entire journey of 21 years and we wouldn’t have a show without them and they’ve been just so loyal and supportive.”
Suzy Lamb, Managing Director, Entertainment, BBC Studios said: “On behalf of the entire production team at Strictly, we are so going to miss Tess and Claudia. Tess brought elegance, poise, and a genuine love for the show that never waned from the very start.
“And with Claudia’s charm and razor-sharp wit joining us from It Takes Two in 2014 – it cemented a partnership that has kept our audience captivated ever since. Tess and Claudia are much more than presenters to us – they are part of the Strictly production family – and whilst we’ll miss them dearly, we wish them nothing but the best.”
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