Co-hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman reportedly have a “pact” that they will leave Strictly Come Dancing together, with it teased that the new series may be their last.
Tess, 55, and Claudia, 52, have fronted the long-running BBC show together since 2014.
Tess had previously hosted with the late Bruce Forsyth and her pal Claudia presented companion show It Takes Two for seven years before first joining her as a co-host for the results shows from 2011.
Strictly is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year but has in recent months faced claims about what it’s apparently been like behind-the-scenes in previous years.
Former pros Giovanni Pernice, 34, and Graziano Di Prima, 30, both left the show ahead of the latest series amid allegations about them.
It’s now been claimed that Tess and Claudia have been “feeling the heat” and are considering leaving before a potential series next year. A source told Closer magazine: “Claudia and Tess are in it together. But both of them have said this could be their last year, and if one goes the other will follow. They’ve made a pact on that.”
The source said that Tess is feeling an “itch to spread her wings” after having been on Strictly since it began in 2004. The source claimed that she’s asking herself if, amid the anniversary, it’s time for to take a “final bow” as host.
It’s further claimed that she doesn’t want to be on a “sinking ship” and would prefer to “go out with a bang”. The source added that she’s facing a “crossroads” of whether to stay until “retirement” or leave to “see what’s out there”.
