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Fans of Strictly Come Dancing were in for a double bombshell in recent days, with both Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly announcing they would be stepping back from the hit BBC dancing competition after more than a decade. This marks the end of an era for many, but for one person, this perhaps won't be such a sad occasion. Claudia's eldest son, Jake Thykier, apparently isn't a fan of Strictly and has previously begged his famous mother to give up what he deems an "embarrassing" gig. Now 22, Jake's dislike of the glittering Saturday night show dates back to his teenage years, when he would desperately plead with Claudia to rethink her very successful career. In a 2018 interview on The Dan Wootton Interview podcast, Claudia, now 53, revealed: "My eldest son has got a buzzcut. He's 15 and he thinks his mum's a loser. It's heartbreaking. The main thing he wants me to do is just not do Strictly." Quoting mortified Jake's lament, Claudia added: "Mum, if you really love me, you'd stop.' He's just embarrassed." Amused rather than insulted, Claudia stood firm and refused to leave the ballroom before she was ready, explaining: "But that's the whole point. My job is to embarrass him, so I just follow him around trying to lick his ear. He's the cutest thing ever." Unfortunately, Jake's humiliation over his mum's top presenting gig didn't fade with time. Back in 2023, while being honoured with an Outstanding Achievement Award at the Edinburgh TV Festival, mum of three Claudia divulged: "My son said to me, 'Mum, you have got to stop doing Strictly, it's so embarrassing and my teacher has mentioned it'. I just went, 'See those trainers, Jake?' He was like, 'OK, sorry'.'" And Jake has apparently had a few suggestions as to where exactly Claudia should be sending her CV. In a 2024 episode of the Waitrose podcast, Claudia shared: "My son, about four years ago, went, 'You have to stop doing that show... can you just work on Match Of The Day?' I was like, 'I can't spell football!'" Claudia, who is currently delighting viewers with her iconic fashion choices on Celebrity Traitors, is also mum to Matilda, 19, born in 2006 and son Arthur, 14, born in 2011. The well-liked TV star shares her three children with her Danish film producer husband, Kris Thykier, whom she married in the summer of 2000. Thankfully for Jake, he'll no longer have to suffer the indignity of seeing his mum present Strictly - although it's unclear whether or not she'll now go on to present Match of the Day. On the morning of Thursday, October 23, Claudia and Tess took to Instagram , announcing: "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." They went on to add: "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." It's since been revealed that Claudia is in the late stages of talks to sign a deal with the firm behind The Graham Norton Show, with plans for her very own chat show. No doubt Jake will have some opinions on the matter. Not too much is known about rarely seen Jake, who keeps a low profile, but he appears to have inherited his parents' strong work ethic. In 2021, he enrolled at the EHL Hospitality Business School, formerly known as École hôtelière de Lausanne, in Switzerland, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in International Hospitality Management He's previously interned at the Absalon Hotel in Copenhagen, and in 2023 and 2024, he was employed by the exclusive Soho House, working in Oxford and Mexico as a bartender and membership representative. More recently, Jake worked as a bar manager in Lausanne while studying for his all-important qualifications. Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com
