Strictly Come Dancing: 17 Top Picks To Replace Tess Daly And Claudia Winkleman

Outgoing Strictly Come Dancing hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess DalyStrictly Come Dancing fans are still reeling from the news that both of its presenters, Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, will be stepping down at the end of the current season.Tess has co-hosted Strictly since its inception in 2004, first with the late Sir Bruce Forsyth and later with Claudia, who took over as a presenter in 2014.In the days since their joint announcement, speculation has already begun over who could be in line to replace the duo, with a number of popular names having surfaced.Here are just some of the potential candidates for the job…Janette ManraraThe current host of the spin-off show It Takes Two seems like a good place to start, as that’s the role Claudia Winkleman held before taking over from Brucie as Tess’ co-presenter on the main show.Janette Manrara has been part of the Strictly family since 2013, initially serving as a professional dancer before making the jump to presenting It Takes Two and the show’s official UK tour.She is also married to Strictly pro Aljaž Škorjanec, which would definitely make for an interesting dynamic during the live shows, if nothing else.Fleur EastSimilarly, it’s worth keeping Janette’s co-host Fleur East in mind, alongside whom she has fronted It Takes Two since 2023.Fleur’s Strictly story began in 2022, when she was a contestant on the show, making it all the way to the final, before becoming a companion show host the following year.The former X Factor star’s other presenting credits have included Saturday Night Takeaway and the Hits Radio breakfast show, which she continues to co-present with James Barr and Will Best.Zoe BallAnother It Takes Two favourite, former Radio 2 breakfast host Zoe Ball presented the Strictly companion show for a decade between 2011 and 2021, even stepping in to front the main show during Claudia’s brief absence in 2014.Zoe is also a noted Strictly superfan, who competed on its third season back in 2005, and has even fronted its official tour on two occasions.Bradley WalshAdmittedly, Bradley Walsh is not someone with an existing Strictly connection, but if producers were looking for a Brucie-type for the show’s revamped presenting team, it seems like he’d be a sensible choice.The host of The Chase would certainly be a safe pair of hands to see in Strictly’s next era, and he’s already proved to be a hit on other BBC Saturday night formats like the revivals of Blankety Blank and Gladiators, the latter of which he co-presents with his son Barney.And speaking of safe pairs of hands…Holly WilloughbyWhen considering potential replacements for Tess Daly, many people’s minds will inevitably have gone to Holly Willoughby, who has mostly kept herself out of the spotlight since stepping down from This Morning in 2023.As host of shows including Dancing On Ice and The Voice (not to mention a decade on This Morning!), Holly has already proved herself to be more than capable of handling live TV, with tabloid reports in 2023 even suggesting that the BBC was hoping to “lure” her over with a rumoured offer to present Strictly.Alan CarrThanks to his scene-stealing appearance on The Celebrity Traitors, Alan Carr is truly the man of the moment.It was recently reported that BBC bosses were planning to capitalise on the comedian, Drag Race UK judge and Interior Design Masters host’s resurgence in popularity by reviving his talk show Chatty Man, but offering him the Strictly gig seems like something many fans would be in favour of, too.Alan has repeatedly appeared in the Strictly studio over the years, and has, in the past, been rather graphic about his reasons for turning down the show.Ore OdubaOf course, plenty of former Strictly stars will come up during conversations about who could step in for Tess and Claudia, but in our view, few seem as likely contenders as Ore Oduba.The former sports presenter has carved a new career himself as a musical theatre performer since competing on Strictly in 2016, where he and his partner Joanne Clifton delivered a string of show-stopping performances in the final and managed to beat frontrunners Danny Clifton and Louise Redknapp.Since then, he’s remained a constant presence in the Strictly world, repeatedly returning to the ballroom during live shows and even fronting the live show on two separate occasions.Stacey Dooley and Kevin CliftonAnother former winner who has been suggested by fans in the last few days is Stacey Dooley, the documentarian who has been a regular BBC fixture since her win in 2019, fronting the likes of Glow Up, DNA Family Secrets and This Is My House.Making this idea even more interesting is that her partner Kevin Clifton, who she met while competing on Strictly, has also been suggested as a potential new host for the show.Since stepping down as a professional after his 2019 win, Kevin has embarked on a career in musical theatre, but is still associated with Strictly, often appearing on It Takes Two in “Choreography Corner” and offering his commentary on the series on social media and in interviews.Roman KempShortly after the news of Tess and Claudia’s impending exit was confirmed, Roman Kemp quickly emerged as one of the bookies’ top picks to take over the gig.Roman’s presenting career was massively boosted during his tenure as host of the Capital Radio breakfast show, and he now regularly fronts programmes like The One Show, The Finish Line and the upcoming Just One Thing (where his co-hosts will be Clive Myrie and Zoe Ball).Incidentally, we’ll be seeing a lot of Roman on our screens from next month, as he recently joined the cast of Celebrity Race Across The World, having previously competed on the likes of I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!, Celebrity Glow Up and Celebrity First Dates.Rylan ClarkThen again, if the BBC do opt to have at least one male presenter take over the role, Rylan Clark seems like a likely contender.He previously fronted the spin-off show It Takes Two for four seasons between 2019 and 2022, and is a regular fixture on the BBC thanks to his Radio 2 show, his coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest and his travel series Rob And Rylan’s Grand Tour.In recent months, Rylan has been keeping a somewhat low profile since he landed at the centre of controversy over comments he made about immigration while guest presenting This Morning over the summer.Emma WillisRylan’s frequent right-hand woman, Emma Willis has emerged as one of the UK’s most competent presenters thanks to her work on everything from Big Brother and The Voice to The Circle and This Morning.A true force to be reckoned with when it comes to live TV, Emma has well and truly put the work in, so we’d love to see that pay off with a mainstream gig like Strictly. She also recently found herself with a more international following thanks to her work on Love Is Blind UK, co-presenting the Netflix series with her husband, musician and fellow presenter Matt Willis.Oti MabuseDuring her time on Strictly Come Dancing, Oti Mabuse became one of the show’s most popular professionals ever – and remains one of only a select few to have won the show twice (not to mention the only pro to ever win the show on two consecutive years).Since parting ways with Strictly, Oti has embarked on a career as a TV personality, judging shows like Dancing On Ice, The Masked Dancer and Ireland’s Dancing With The Stars, as well as presenting on Loose Women, Romeo & Duet and Oti Mabuse’s Breakfast Show for ITV.Even Craig Revel Horwood has backed Oti for the gig, and with her sister Motsi Mabuse on the panel, the full-circle notion of her returning to present would feel even more poignant.Hannah WaddinghamFrankly, we’ve not seen enough people suggesting this, but it’s an idea we’d be absolutely here for.True, Hannah Waddingham is best known for her work as an actor on both the stage and screen, but she also received a wave of praise when she co-presented Eurovision in 2023, even nabbing a Bafta nomination for her efforts.After curbing an arena full of excited Eurofans in Liverpool, surely a gig like Strictly would be a walk in the park…?Jane McDonaldNo but seriously, imagine Hannah upstairs in what’s now known as the “Clauditorium” and the always-iconic Jane McDonald taking over Tess’ slot downstairs.BBC, please… make this happen.Clara AmfoLike bookies’ fave Roman Kemp (with whom she fronted the Brit Awards in 2024), Clara Amfo is now a regular on The One Show, having first made a name for herself on BBC Radio.Clara is certainly popular, and has Strictly experience herself, taking part in the show back in 2020.La VoixYou might be thinking we’ve included La Voix as a fun note to end on, but we’re being very sincerely serious.Remember when Mel and Sue left Bake Off, and they got Noel Fielding in to replace them? At first, he seemed like a very strange fit, but then it quickly dawned on viewers that it was just the sort of big swing needed to revitalise the show and bring it into a new era. Well, that’s what La Voix could be for Strictly.For starters, we’ve seen on the current series how quick-witted she can be, even under the pressure of live TV. More importantly, throughout her own Strictly journey, she’s had heaps of praise from the judges as well as some more harsh criticism, so few would be better equipped to empathise with future Strictly stars.Seriously, we see it…MORE STRICTLY:Strictly's Craig Revel Horwood Already Has 2 Names In Mind To Replace Tess Daly And Claudia WinklemanShirley Ballas Has 4 Words Of Advice For La Voix After Strictly Come Dancing Score BacklashThomas Skinner Explains Why He Wishes He'd 'Never Done' Strictly Come Dancing

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