Claudia and Tess return to Strictly after exit confirmation

Strictly viewers have been reacting to the BBC show as hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly return after exit announcement. <i>(Image: BBC/Ray Burmiston)</i>
Strictly viewers have been reacting to the BBC show as hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly return after exit announcement. (Image: BBC/Ray Burmiston)
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Viewers of Strictly Come Dancing have described the BBC show's hosts as “icons” as Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly return after their exit announcement.

On October 23, the hosting duo took to Instagram to confirm that they would be leaving Strictly at the end of the current series.

The pair said in a shared statement on social media that they “were always going to leave together” and that “now feels like the right time.”

Sharing the announcement, the pair said: “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.

“Tess & Claud”.

Strictly viewers react to Claudia and Tess' exit announcement

At the start of week five, the pair were welcomed by huge cheers from the studio audience.

Discussing the news of their exit, Claudia shared: "We want to thank you for your beautiful messages."

Tess added, "We can not wait to spend the rest of the series with you."

Taking to X, one viewer of the BBC show said, “Tess and Claude are the true Icons!"

Another Strictly fan wrote: “We love you, Tess and Claudia."

While a third said: “Need to savour the remaining weeks now with Tess and Claudia leaving."


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How long have Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman been on Strictly?

The Traitors presenter began co-hosting Strictly Come Dancing in 2014.

Meanwhile, Tess Daly has quit the show after presenting the Saturday night entertainment programme for 21 years.

Daly began presenting Strictly back in 2004 alongside TV legend Bruce Forsyth.

Forsyth left the series in 2014 after 10 years and 11 series together.

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