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Holly Willoughby Touted as Frontrunner in Strictly Host Search, With Revamp Reported

No successors are announced as producer chatter points to a light refresh that preserves the show's core.

Overview

  • Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman confirmed in a joint video that they will step down together after the current Strictly series.
  • Former BBC One controller Peter Fincham told a Daily Mail column he had heard with “great confidence” that Holly Willoughby will take over, though no decision is official.
  • Alex Jones and Bradley Walsh are also reported as leading contenders, with supporters citing Jones’s live TV experience and Walsh’s broad primetime profile.
  • Unnamed production sources suggest a measured revamp is planned, keeping staples like the set, theme tune and judging format while updating some presentation elements.
  • A PR expert quoted by the Mirror cautioned that Willoughby could divide opinion and urged the BBC to prioritize authenticity and audience connection in its choice.