A former This Morning presenter is apparently a favourite
Holly Willoughby is rumoured to be one of the next hosts of Strictly Come Dancing, following the departure of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
The 44-year-old former This Morning presenter is among the names speculated to fill the BBC show’s presenting slots after Tess and Claudia announced they will be stepping down by year’s end.
Peter Fincham, the former BBC One Controller, hinted at Holly’s potential new role in a conversation with the Daily Mail’s Richard Eden. He said: “My hairdresser also cuts the hair of a well-known channel controller. What’s said in Harry’s the hairdresser stays in Harry’s. But he says with great confidence that Holly Willoughby will take over.”
Holly left her long-standing role on This Morning in 2023 but has continued to present ITV’s Dancing On Ice and Netflix reality show Celebrity Bear Hunt with Bear Grylls.
Other celebrities believed to be contenders for the Strictly hosting gig include Alex Jones, who previously competed on the show in 2011, and Bradley Walsh.
An insider told The Sun: “Alex and Bradley are both the favourites to take over from Tess and Claudia. They have been in the BBC’s sights for some time as Tess and Claudia’s exit plan has been known for a while.”
The insider added: “Bradley and Alex are both seen as accomplished broadcasters. He brings the wisecracks and Alex is the calm head who knows how to handle live situations after 15 years of co-hosting The One Show. Alex is a massive fan of Strictly too so this would be the dream gig for her.”
If Alex, 48, and Bradley, 65, take the reins, they’ll be at the helm of a “revamp” of the Latin and Ballroom competition.
An insider revealed to the publication: “Losing Tess and Claudia is a big change so there will be a revamp. The show will keep its key components like the set, the theme tune and the judging set-up – nothing to cause die-hard fans to kick off.”
They added: “But they want to freshen it up, maybe with a new-look logo and new faces on the dance floor. Bringing in Cynthia Erivo as a guest mentor for Movie Week was a taste of what’s to come. New hosts and a few minor improvements and changes will breathe some life into it again.”
Tess, 56, and Claudia, 53, announced last month that they would be stepping down from Strictly at the end of the current series, emphasising that they had always intended to bow out “together”.
In a video message shared on Daly’s Instagram feed, they expressed: “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.”
The message continued: “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.”
Looking for more from MyLondon? Subscribe to our daily newsletters here for the latest and greatest updates from across London.
