‘Strictly Come Dancing’ bosses have announced that Claudia Winkleman will host the upcoming series of the dance contest, replacing Bruce Forsyth who quit the show earlier this year.
Claudia is no stranger to ‘Strictly’ and has been presenting the Sunday night results show alongside Tess Daly for a number of years. She has also stood in for Bruce on a number of occasions.
Claudia Winkleman
The presenter has expressed her delight at taking on the new role, stating: "I have loved Strictly since the second it appeared on our screens and I am honoured and thrilled to now be part of the Saturday night team”.
"Working alongside Tess is always fantastic and I can't wait to spend the weekends with her, our amazing dancers and the greatest judging panel on the planet,” she added. “Sir Bruce is a living legend and we'll all miss him very much."
Tess is equally happy at the announcement, saying: "I'm so pleased that I'll be working with Claudia - she's long been part of the Strictly family and I've loved doing the Sunday show with her”.
"It's really exciting having two women host the show, and we are great mates so there'll be lots of fun to be had on and off the dance floor,” she explained.
The BBC have explained that Tess is going to step into Bruce’s old role on the dancefloor of introducing the dancers and revealing the judges’ votes while Claudia will work backstage, chatting to the celebrities and their professional dance partners.
There had been plenty of speculation over who would be drafted in to replace Bruce, with names including Tess’s husband Vernon Kay and Anton du Beke reportedly being considered.
The celeb line-up of this year’s show still hasn’t been finalised, though reports suggest the likes of Mark Wright, Michelle Collins and Joey Essex could be taking part.
Brucie will return to present the Christmas and Children In Need specials.