Copyright walesonline
The BBC is reportedly keen for Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman t o host a new programme together following their exit from Strictly, with Claudia already being offered her own chat show. Executives are contemplating whether to give them another entertainment format as a pair, or perhaps a quiz or travelogue series. This move is part of an effort to ward off competition from streaming services, which have already secured big names like Jeremy Clarkson and Holly Willoughby. Meanwhile Claudia, 53, is also set to helm her own chat show, produced by So Television, the company behind The Graham Norton Show. The host of Traitors previously filled in for Graham, 62, last year. As his series have been getting progressively shorter, a new programme would help the BBC fill the void. A source claimed: "This is all part of a drive by the BBC to keep the talent within the corporation. “They feel that if they offer Claudia and Tess the right projects, they're likely to remain loyal. They had their lives taken over for three or four months every year because of the commitments that come with doing a live show,” they continued to The Sun. “The hope is that if they were given projects which would take just days or weeks out of their schedules they're more likely to say yes. “Plus, they'd almost certainly want to work together again as they have a great friendship. The Claudia chat show is at a fairly advanced stage but the Beeb are letting the dust settle on the bombshell news of them leaving Strictly before making any firm proposal for a show with Tess." WalesOnline has contacted the BBC for comment. The BBC said their final appearance would come on this year's Christmas special show on 25 December. It comes as Tess and Claudia shocked fan when they announced their departure from Strictly Come Dancing in a candid video shared on Thursday. Tess has presented since the first series 21 years ago. Claudia joined in 2014, having hosted Strictly spin off show It Takes Two since 2004. In a joint statement, Tess and Claudia wrote: "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 & Claud." Strictly Come Dancing returns Saturday at 6.55pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
