Strictly Come Dancing co-host Claudia Winkleman says finale will be ’emotional’

TV presenter Claudia Winkleman has said she and Strictly Come Dancing co-host Tess Daly “will be emotional” during the finale next week as the pair departs from the show.

Winkleman and Daly announced earlier this year they will be leaving the BBC dancing competition – which they have co-hosted since 2014 – with the Christmas special on December 25 their last appearance.

Strictly’s sister show It Takes Two paid tribute on Tuesday to Daly and Winkleman’s time hosting the show, with the pair admitting they might feel emotional after the finale on December 20.

Asked by host Fleur East if the reality of their imminent departure has sunk in, Daly replied: “The short answer is no.

“I genuinely haven’t had time to think about it, because we’ve been so into this series, so absorbed by it – it’s such a brilliant series that all of our focus is on that, really.

“So I think it’d be a bit of a shock on the 20th. I might get emotional.”

Winkleman added: “I think we will be emotional, but of course, it won’t be about us. It’ll be about the winners.”

“So we’re not allowed to cry,” Daly said.

“We’re not,” Winkleman said, adding: “But afterwards, we will hold each other very tight and cry.

“Because it’s a lot.”

Daly, 56, presented the series since it first launched in 2004 alongside the late Sir Bruce Forsyth, while Winkleman, 53, fronted its weekday companion show, It Takes Two.

Winkleman eventually moved on to host the Sunday night results show alongside Daly and joined the main show every Saturday from 2014, after Sir Bruce stepped down.

The pair picked up the entertainment programme gong at the Bafta TV Awards in 2024 and were made Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours for their services to broadcasting.

During Sunday night’s results show, the judges decided to save West End star Amber Davies and her dance partner Nikita Kuzmin after they found themselves in the bottom two alongside former Emmerdale star Lewis Cope and professional dancer Katya Jones.

Davies joins EastEnders actress Balvinder Sopal, internet star George Clarke and former Lioness and sports broadcaster Karen Carney as semi-finalists.

The couples will perform during next weekend’s semi-final, airing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 6.35pm on Saturday, with the results show at 7.45pm on Sunday.

Each couple will perform two new routines and there will be performances from Australian singer Kylie Minogue and boyband Five.

Earlier on Tuesday, Winkleman also attended an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle where she was officially made an MBE by the King.

Winkleman, who wore an ivory suit with a matching headband and black shirt to the ceremony, was joined by her mother, author and journalist Eve Pollard, her father, former publisher Barry Winkleman and husband Kris Thykier, a film producer.