Holly Willoughby speaks out on replacing Tess and Claudia on Strictly
She's favourite to take over
Last updated 17th Nov 2025
Despite the current series of Strictly Come Dancing gracing our screens every weekend, hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman dropped a huge bombshell last month, revealing they were both leaving the show after 21 years.
Although they will continue to present until this year's final, rumours are rife as to who will replace them, and now former This Morning host Holly Willoughby seems to be leading the way.
Holly, who has fronted shows such as Dancing On Ice, Celebrity Bear Hunt and You Bet! since leaving the This Morning sofa, is reportedly in the running.
Is Holly Willoughby going to present Strictly?
Former BBC One Controller Peter Fincham has told Mail Online: "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."
Although nothing has been confirmed just yet, Holly's husband Dan Baldwin is also a top producer for some major BBC shows, including Gladiators, meaning she's already close to some of the bigwigs at the BBC.
With Netflix choosing not to renew Bear Hunt and ITV deciding to put Dancing On Ice on a hiatus, Holly's diary has seemingly become a lot less busy, making her the perfect fit for the dancing show.
What has Holly said about Strictly?
Answering the question by reporters at the preview night for Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park, Holly said: “At the moment, I'm just having a lovely time at home watching Strictly.”
As fans will know, 44-year-old Holly made the tough decision to leave her presenting role on This Morning in 2023, after 14 years at the helm.
She said at the time: "I have let ITV know today that after 14 years, I will not be returning to This Morning. It's been an honour to just be part of its story and I know this story has many chapters left to go. Sadly, however, I now feel I have to make this decision for me and my family.
"I will miss you all so much."
Check out all of the famous faces rumoured to present Strictly Come Dancing:
Fleur East
As a former Strictly finalist and current co-host of spin-off show It Takes Two, moving to the main should would be the perfect step-up for Hits Radio presenter Fleur East! That is what Claudia did after all...
Janette Manrara
Alongside Fleur, we think her It Takes Two co-host Janette Manrara would be the perfect pairing!
Alan Carr
Following his win on The Celebrity Traitors, Alan Carr is now being tipped to host the series, with his odds at 5/1.
Rosie and Chris Ramsay
Thanks to the success of their podcast (Sh---ed Married Annoyed), and their TV show (The Chris & Rosie Ramsey Show), married couple Rosie and Chris have gained a huge following and would be the perfect pair to host Strictly. Chris even took part in the 17th series of the show back in 2019.
Rylan Clark
Rylan Clark's name has been doing the rounds ever since Tess and Claudia's announcement, with fans of the show begging him to take over!
Holly Willoughby
TV host Holly Willoughby has a bit of time on her hands now she doesn't present This Morning! Could she revive her presenting career by switching over the BBC for Strictly? According to former BBC One Controller Peter Fincham, he's been informed that it is 'with great confidence that Holly Willoughby will take over'.
Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton
Stacey Dooley first appeared as a contestant on Strictly back in 2018, going on to win the show with professional dancer Kevin Clifton. Their friendship quickly blossomed into more and now they are proud parents to their daughter Minnie, so it would just be the perfect fairytale for the pair to return as hosts.
Alesha Dixon
She's already been a contestant and a judge on the show, so could presenter of Strictly be next on Alesha Dixon's list?! Alesha won the fifth series in 2007 and was a judge between 2009–2012, replacing Arlene Phillips.
Marvin and Rochelle Humes
KISS DJ Marvin Humes and his wife Rochelle have presented Strictly-themed episodes of their show The Hit List, and Rochelle took part in the Christmas special of Strictly back in 2013, so they are certainly no strangers to the show! We think they'd be the perfect replacements for Tess and Claudia.
Hannah Waddington
Actress, singer, theatre star, presenter, there really is no end to Hannah Waddington's talents! After she hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool in 2023, Hannah has proved she can cope with the stress of live TV, making her the perfect candidate!
Matt and Emma Willis
Married couple Matt and Emma Willis are no strangers to presenting together, recently hosting Netflix series Love Is Blind: UK. Although Matt has turned down appearing as a contestant in the past, would he accept the job of presenter for Strictly?!
Alison Hammond
With shows such as Bake Off, This Morning and For The Love Of Dogs under her belt, Alison Hammond certainly has the CV to present Strictly! She appeared on the show as a contestant back in 2014, where she was paired with the lovely Aljaž Škorjanec.
Bradley and Barney Walsh
After seeing father-and-son duo Bradley and Barney Walsh present on Gladiators, we think the pair would be great on Strictly!
Dermot O'Leary
Dermot O'Leary is no stranger to presenting a hugely-successful Saturday night entertainment show... who can forget those spins on The X Factor back in the day! With the right co-host, we think Derm could be a huge success on the show.
On the morning of 23rd October, Tess and Claudia released a joint statement to announce the news they'd be leaving their roles following the current series.
They said in a video: "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."
The duo also then posted individual statements to their social media accounts.
Despite the rumours, the BBC are yet to announce who will replace Tess and Claudia on the show, or if the series will return in 2026.
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