Copyright dailyrecord
The BBC has issued an official statement following the bombshell news that Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman are stepping down from Strictly Come Dancing, revealing exactly when the beloved duo will make their final bow. 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 said: "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!" Tess and Claudia will depart Strictly Come Dancing when the current series concludes, with their final on-screen appearance together set for the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special, broadcasting on Christmas Day on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, reports the Mirror . The duo announced their departure from the beloved dance programme earlier today. In a joint statement they had 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." Tess first graced the Strictly stage in 2004, co-hosting alongside the late, great Bruce Forsyth, who remained a mainstay until his departure in 2014. Claudia joined the Strictly family in 2004 as well, initially presenting the spin-off show It Takes Two. She later co-presented the Sunday night results show with Daly in 2010, before the duo took over presenting duties for the main programme a decade ago.
