Copyright walesonline
Fans of Strictly Come Dancing were left shocked earlier this week when it was announced that hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will be leaving the BBC show at the end of the current series. Daly has hosted the show ever since the first series aired in 2004, with Winkleman joining the presenting line-up full-time in 2014. But for the first time in over two decades, the show is set to have new faces at the helm, with a host of big names already being linked with replacing the much-loved duo. Frontrunners for the vacant spots include former Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two hosts Zoe Ball and Rylan Clark, as well as familiar faces Bradley Walsh, Holly Willoughby, Alison Hammond and Roman Kemp. However, a former sportsperson is also thought to be in with a chance of landing one of the roles, with ex-Lionesses star Alex Scott being given 4/1 odds of replacing either Daly or Winkleman by bookmakers. The 41-year-old - who won an incredible 140 caps for England during her playing career - appeared on Strictly in 2019, becoming the first female footballer to take part in the show. Paired with professional dancer Neil Jones, she made it through to the quarter-finals but ultimately finished fifth, with Emmerdale actor Kelvin Fletcher taking the crown. In a hugely successful playing career, Scott made 150 appearances for Arsenal and also played for Birmingham City and the Boston Breakers as well as representing Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics. However, after hanging up her boots in 2018, she has established an even more lucrative career in broadcasting, with her profile rising year-on-year. After becoming the BBC's first female World Cup pundit in 2018, she has gone on to front shows including Football Focus, Match of the Day and The One Show, as well as the annual BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards. Her time on Football Focus saw her clash with another former BBC favourite, however, as she allegedly became embroiled in a 'heated' row with her predecessor on the show, Dan Walker, in 2023. Following reports that the iconic Saturday lunchtime show had been hit by a huge decline in viewing figures during Scott's time in the presenter's chair, Walker - who presented the show from 2009 through to 2021, took to social media to write: "It’s hard to see Football Focus struggling. I loved it growing up and it was an honour to present it and I still miss it. "We poured everything into that show each week and worked hard to keep it relevant. I hope it stays part of the TV landscape." Scott then replied to the post with a GIF that read 'interesting', leading Walker to fire back: "I’m not saying you haven’t Alex. It’s a saturated market and it’s hard work every week. I hope you have a good show today." However, Scott remained unimpressed , as she posted a picture of the Television Show of the Year award from the previous year's Sports Journalism Awards, and wrote: "We have big interviews with Ange Postecoglou and Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard coming up on the ‘Award’ winning Football Focus tomorrow. Make that a headline." It was later reported that the pair had continued their online spat at a charity do weeks later, as they were alleged to have become involved in a "heated" row with each other at the Legends of Football dinner in 2023. However, it is claimed that they then ended the argument on amicable terms, reportedly embracing each other. Scott's links to the Strictly job come as she has reportedly signed up to another huge show, with the former right-back believed to have been in talks to join the cast of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! According to reports, she is set to follow in the footsteps of her former England teammate and previous Queen of the Jungle Jill Scott, and join this year's line-up of campmates, which is believed to include the likes of model and actress Kelly Brook and rapper Aitch.
