Why Claudia and Tess REALLY QUIT

The pair are set to waltz out of the ballroom at the end of this series for a surprising reason

- STEPHEN LENG

Strictly Come Dancing fans were left in shock last month when presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman jointly announced they would be leaving the show at the end of the year.

And now we can reveal the reason behind it – for, even though the pair always said that they would quit together when the time came, it seems Claudia has been offered her very own chat show.

After years of Strictly scandals – involving bullying and drug-taking allegations, as well as the regular ‘Strictly curse’ dramas and discussions about how much professional dance experience the celebrities have – it’s perhaps no surprise that the co-hosts thought it was the right time to go.

And, following the success of The Traitors and its recent celebrity version, the BBC is said to be very keen to keep Claudia, 53, on board, with a big money offer.

Next projects

According to sources, it will be a ‘glitzy, super-high-end show’ with the channel prepared to ‘throw huge sums’ to get A-list stars to appear.