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The BBC has broken its silence on Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman's Strictly exit. Strictly hosts Tess and Claudia have announced that they have decided to leave the BBC show after the latest series. The pair, who have have hosted the show together since 2014, said "the time is right to step aside and pass over the baton". BBC bosses have now paid tribute to the beloved duo and admitted it's the "end of an era". They've also said they understand why they've decided to walk away from the show. Kate Phillips, Chief Content Officer for the BBC said: "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. As Craig would say they are fab-u-lous presenters, and they are fab-u-lous friends to me and so many others at the BBC. Thank you Tess and Claud for everything, we will miss you hugely." Suzy Lamb, Managing Director, Entertainment, BBC Studios said: "On behalf of the entire production team at Strictly, we are so going to miss Tess and Claudia. Tess brought elegance, poise, and a genuine love for the show that never waned from the very start. "And with Claudia’s charm and razor-sharp wit joining us from It Takes Two in 2014 – it cemented a partnership that has kept our audience captivated ever since. Tess and Claudia are much more than presenters to us - they are part of the Strictly production family - and whilst we’ll miss them dearly, we wish them nothing but the best." Sarah James, Executive Producer, Strictly Come Dancing added: "Tess and Claudia are quite simply the best duo of presenters in the business and we are so lucky to have had them as our Strictly anchors for so many years. They have championed countless celebrities on the dancefloor, led us all through two series during the pandemic but more importantly they have a deep and genuine bond with the show and every single member of the team. "The Strictly Family is often referred to and these women are the matriarchs of that family. We have been together and supported each other for a long time - through pregnancies, births and deaths and to say we will all miss them terribly is an understatement. Tess, Claudia, THANK YOU for everything, it’s not over yet – let’s enjoy the rest of this fabulous series together. I would say Keep Dancing, but you never actually started!" In a joint statement, Tess and Claudia said: "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." Have you joined Threads? Follow Daily Star to keep up to date on all things showbiz here. Want all the biggest Showbiz and TV news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our free Daily Star Showbiz newsletter.
