It goes without saying that Strictly Come Dancing is a TV institution in the UK. It's a regular part of the British TV programming in the fall, and consistently brings in the best viewing figures across all programming each week. It's been a formidable force for two decades and audiences are still loving that today, because you just can't beat good old-fashioned Saturday night entertainment like this! Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman are a large part of the reason why.
With that in mind, news of their joint departure at the end of the series has come as a major blow to longtime fans. There was no announcement prior to this that it would be happening, and something as monumental as that would have normally been announced ahead of the series' debut so that fans could truly appreciate their final run together. So what happened and why are the beloved duo bowing out after the current series?
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman felt the time was right to leave Strictly
The announcement of Tess and Claudia's departure from Strictly Come Dancing came from the pair themselves via social media posts. In a collaboration video shared primarily via Tess' Instagram account, the pair revealed the truth about their decision to step down, saying that they felt "the time is right to step aside and pass over the baton". The pair then reflected on their memories of the series during their long tenure, with Tess looking back on the 21 years that she has been a part of the program.
They also opened up about their decision to leave together in a written statement on Tess' Instagram post, saying that after co-hosting the show together for so long, they "were always going to leave together", once again saying that "now feels like the right time".
The revelation caught just about everyone in the UK off-guard, with the BBC releasing a statement on the news an hour after Daly and Winkleman first announced it. BBC Chief Content Officer Kate Phillips. had this to say:
"I can’t quite believe I’m saying this, but it’s the end of an era with Tess and Claudia’s decision to bid farewell to the Strictly ballroom. They've both been such incredible hosts at the very heart of the show, their passion and dedication has gone above and beyond. They've been integral to Strictly's success over the last 20 years, but I understand why they've decided it's time to hang up the glitter ball and get their weekends back."
The double act have been hosting the main Strictly series together since 2014 but they've been a part of the Strictly family since the very beginning. Tess has been one of the two main hosts since its first series back in 2004 (which she hosted with the legendary Bruce Forsyth) while Claudia hosted companion series Strictly: It Takes Two since its inception in 2004 as well. Claudia then moved to the Sunday Night Results Show in 2010, which she co-hosted with Tess. And from 2014 onwards, the pair have hosted both the main show and the Results Show.
Having done all of that within the past two decades and remained at the top of their game, it's only natural that they have decided that it's time to move on. They have, after all, left it all out there on that dancefloor at Elstree.
However, there might be another chapter at the BBC for at least one of them...
Claudia is reportedly in talks for a Graham Norton-esque talk-show
It sounds like Claudia Winkleman will be sticking around at the BBC even after saying goodbye to its biggest show. According to the Daily Mail, the beloved presenter is currently being lined up to host a talk show of her own on the BBC, with Deadline subsequently revealing that it would be produced by So Television - the same company behind the critically-acclaimed The Graham Norton Show.
Norton's series, which Winkleman has guest-hosted before, has been a fixture of Friday nights on BBC One since 2009, but it first debuted on screens on BBC Two back in 2007. Since then, it has become a global phenomenon due to the level of star-power of its guests, the adult humor, the viral social media clips, and Norton's own approach to hosting - which has made him an icon of UK TV screens. His show is also popular in the US because of how different it is in regards to the Stateside late night shows (despite its similarities).
If Winkleman does end up hosting her own version of a talk show, it could be a very big career move for her - especially as her already-legendary career has been going from strength-to-strength in recent years. As well as hosting Strictly, she hosts the UK version of The Traitors, which has been breaking linear viewership records at a time when most people prefer to stream their content. Her alluring personality and quirky presenting technique makes her the perfect person for this job and, given the success of the series and its recent spinoff The Celebrity Traitors, it's clear that it has paid off for all involved.
Regardless of what's next for either one, there is no doubt that Claudia and Tess will find success as their impressive run on Strictly has made them one of the most beloved acts to ever grace UK TV screens. And the series itself will miss them a great deal - as will all of the loyal viewers who have loved watching them host the show over the years.
Their final episode to air will be the annual Christmas Special (which airs on Christmas Day on BBC One) but, as that is usually taped in November, their official final stint will be on the live final of this year's series.
Strictly Come Dancing airs on BBC One on Saturday and Sunday evenings.