All posts tagged: Daly

BBC bosses ‘to interview Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly replacements’

BBC bosses ‘to interview Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly replacements’

Published by Sam Flores

BBC bosses reportedly plan to hold Strictly Come Dancing presenter auditions this week. Nine stars are in contention for the Strictly jobs, after Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly quit the hit TV series in 2025. A source told The Sun newspaper: “It’s not just about reading autocue. They’ll be looking at how people work together and humour is a massive part of it. There’s everything to play for.” The likes of Rylan Clark, Emma Willis, Tom Allen, Angela Scanlon and Alex Jones are all in contention for the Strictly roles. However, BBC bosses are said to be approaching the auditions with an open mind. The insider shared: “They really want to bring the fun this year. It’s all about chemistry and who clicks instantly and can keep the energy up live on air. “They could stick with two female hosts as that’s worked brilliantly. But they’re also open to mixing it up. “If Rylan and Tom Allen click, that could be a hilarious pairing. Equally, they could even introduce a third presenter to shake things …

Strictly Come Dancing: 17 Stars Rumoured To Be Replacing Tess Daly And Claudia Winkleman

Strictly Come Dancing: 17 Stars Rumoured To Be Replacing Tess Daly And Claudia Winkleman

Published by Sam Flores

It’s looking increasingly like Strictly Come Dancing will be a noticeably different show when it returns to our screens in the autumn. Over the last few months, a number of the show’s resident professional dancers have parted ways with Strictly under a variety of circumstances, while it’s also been suggested that companion show It Takes Two could be getting something of an overhaul, too. Then, of course, there’s the search for a new presenting team in the wake of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s exits at the end of last year. Before her departure, Tess had been with Strictly since its inception in 2004, with Claudia joining on a permanent basis a decade later, taking over presenting duties from the late Sir Bruce Forsyth. When the duo began hosting together, they made history as the first female presenting team to front a primetime show, and there’s no denying that Strictly viewers are going to miss their unique dynamic on those wintery Saturday nights. But, with Tess and Claudia having now left the ballroom for good, …

Twice divorced and dating in my 50s: amicable founder Kate Daly on what it really feels like when your life splits in two

Twice divorced and dating in my 50s: amicable founder Kate Daly on what it really feels like when your life splits in two

Published by Daniella Wilson

‘Divorce’… what do you think of?  Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton? JR and Sue-Ellen Ewing? Me too. People with dramatic stories. People whose lives had gone visibly and spectacularly wrong. But my ‘first’ divorce didn’t look like that. A short marriage, I was in my late twenties, with no children, and the break-up wasn’t fuelled by betrayal or a huge row ending in a slammed door. It was quiet. A dawning realisation that our lives were pulling in different directions, and that this marriage wasn’t going to hold our shared hopes and dreams. What we’d promised each other wasn’t going to survive real life. There was sadness, of course. But there was also dignity. We kept it simple, negotiated everything ourselves (there was only a house, minimal savings and an oversized navy-blue damask sofa that nobody wanted – it was the 90s!), and tried to end it kindly. Kate Daly’s two divorces ultimately inspired her to launch legal service amicable – and write about her experiences If you’d told me then that I’d divorce again …

Strictly Come Dancing: The 11 presenters who could replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman

Strictly Come Dancing: The 11 presenters who could replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter It’s been months since Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman shocked the country with news that they were leaving Strictly Come Dancing, and the rumour mill is still in overdrive speculating who will replace the presenting pair. Daly, 56, and Winkleman, 54, stepped down for the BBC Saturday night show in December, with both having been involved with the programme since 2004. Speaking for the first time about the reason they had left, Winkleman said that she and Daly had decided to leave as Strictly “deserves new” and they wanted to “leave when we were on an absolute high”. What that “new” might be, however, is clearly something BBC bosses are still undecided on. Daly and Winkleman were one of the rare female presenting duos on British television, and while some have called for this tradition to be continued, TV insider Richard …

Tess Daly ushers in ‘welcome calm’ in her 50s as she reflects on post-Strictly chapter – exclusive

Tess Daly ushers in ‘welcome calm’ in her 50s as she reflects on post-Strictly chapter – exclusive

Published by Daniella Wilson

For Tess Daly, kicking off 2026 is all about embracing pastures new. The star found her TV home in Strictly Come Dancing, the BBC show she presented for 21 years, but despite signing off from her hosting duties alongside Claudia Winkleman in December, she has never felt more sure of herself than right now. “I have so much life experience under my belt and I enjoy the wisdom that comes with that,” says Tess, 56, opening up about life in her fifties in this exclusive interview. “There’s a calmness that comes that is very welcome.” © Alan Strutt/Celebrity MediaTess has launched Naia Active with cose friend Gayle Lawton In her first interview since leaving Strictly, Tess tells us about her latest projects, including the launch of her sportswear brand, NAIA Active – a branch of the swimwear label NAIA Beach, which she co-founded with her close friend Gayle Lawton in 2021.  “It’s months in the making, and you care so much about the end goals. We were doing 15-hour days up until Christmas,” she says of …

Shirley Ballas opens up on Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly departure from Strictly

Shirley Ballas opens up on Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly departure from Strictly

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas has admitted her “surprise” at the announcement that long-serving hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly would be stepping down after 11 years. The 65-year-old described the news as “sad”, following the popular presenting duo’s confirmation of their departure in a joint Instagram statement in October this year. Winkleman, 53, and Daly, 56, had fronted the beloved BBC One series together since 2014, with their final joint appearance during its pre-recorded festive episode, which aired on Christmas Day. Speaking in an interview with Saga Magazine for its January issue, Ballas conveyed she would miss the hosting duo, and spoke about when they announced their departure from the show. She said: “Everyone was surprised. I share the changing room next to them, and they are full of giggles and laughter. “They also showed me the way …

Strictly Come Dancing: 14 Stars Rumoured To Be Replacing Tess Daly And Claudia Winkleman

Strictly Come Dancing: 14 Stars Rumoured To Be Replacing Tess Daly And Claudia Winkleman

Published by Sam Flores

Following their tear-jerking last live show earlier this month, Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have now bid farewell to Strictly Come Dancing for good, following this year’s pre-recorded Christmas Day special. Tess had been with Strictly since its inception in 2004, with Claudia joining on a permanent basis a decade later, taking over presenting duties from the late Sir Bruce Forsyth. At the time, the duo made history as the first female presenting team to present a primetime show together, and there’s no denying that fans of the long-running BBC dance show are going to miss what each of them had to bring to the table on those wintery Saturday nights. But, with Tess and Claudia having now left the ballroom for good, people are now looking to the future, and speculating over exactly who could be brought in to fill their shoes. Rumours are already rife, with The Sun most recently publishing a list of names supposedly doing “chemistry tests” with the aim of landing the coveted Strictly role. Here’s a quick round-up of …