Tess Daly’s real reason for leaving Strictly Come Dancing before marriage breakdown, and Claudia had to follow

Last year Strictly Come Dancing presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announced they were both leaving the BBC show after 11 years of presenting together- but why did they step down?

Fans of Strictly Come Dancing were devastated when Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman revealed that they were both departing from the show after 11 years of presenting as a partnership. The pair announced that they were leaving during last year’s season of the popular BBC series.

The Strictly Christmas special marked their last appearance on the show, and fans were heartbroken to see the pair go their seperate ways.

It was later revealed in May that not two, but three hosts would be replacing them. This includes presenter Emma Willis, comedian Josh Widdicombe, and former Strictly pro Johannes Radebe. The new presenters will be taking to the stage this weekend for the Strictly Come Dancing 2026 launch show on Saturday, September 19.

So, why did Tess and Claudia decide to step away from the biggest show on the BBC? For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter

Tess has hosted the show since it launched 21 years ago alongside Sir Bruce Forsyth, with Claudia coming on board in 2014.

Both announced the unexpected news via Instagram in October 2025, describing their Strictly experience as “an absolute dream” while noting it “feels like the right time” to step away.

They stated the reason they decided to leave saying: “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.”

At the time, Tess mentioned looking forward to reclaiming her weekends as her two daughters, whom she shares with her ex-husband Vernon Kay, have matured. Speaking on the Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast, Tess said: “I’m not someone who goes for a day to the spa. I’m thinking, what do my kids need me to do today? Do you know what I mean?”.

“So I’m always making up for that. If I’ve worked for a day or two, then I’m like, now this time I need to do more for them because I was absent here.

“So I’m always trying to make up for that. So if I remove them from that picture… I don’t know. I mean, it could be quite lovely, it could be really great.

“I could be on weekend breaks with my girlfriends to Ibiza. How about that? I might be back dancing on podiums.”

Tess Daly and Vernon Kay announced their amicable separation in May 2026 after over 22 years of marriage, just a few months after Daly stepped down.

Previously, Claudia joked she nearly walked away from Strictly due to putting her family first.

During an appearance on BBC Women’s Hour, she revealed: “I phoned the boss of Strictly quite dramatically and said, through tears, ‘Sarah I love you, I don’t want to leave Strictly and Tess [Daly] and I have agreed we will leave together when they’re done with us, but if the first show is September 13, I’m out and you’ll have to go with somebody else.'”.

“And there was a beat. And she said, ‘Quite dramatic. We don’t start that week.'”.

“I was like, “alright”. I have to go and put up his posters. It’s not that I love him more than others love their kids, but this is something parents have to go through.”

The Celebrity Traitors presenter reaffirmed her agreement with Tess to depart simultaneously in a conversation with The Mirror, stating: “Tess and I will leave at the same time, we’ve made that pact over pizza. We’ll go together, whenever they’re done with us.”

You can watch Strictly Come Dancing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 7.25pm on Saturday, September 19.