Daly had been with the show since its inception in 2004, while Winkleman joined permanently in 2014, taking over from Sir Bruce Forsyth. Together, they were the first female presenting team to front a primetime show. The timing of their departure remains unclear, with some reports indicating they left at the end of last year and others suggesting they announced last month they would leave after the current series, according to reports.
The BBC told The Independent that plans for Strictly 2026 will be announced in due course. According to The Sun, the broadcaster may expand the presenting team from two to three hosts, with a source telling the newspaper that the BBC hoped to pair a frontrunner with a more left-field person, preferably a female stand-up comedian. The Sun also published a list of names supposedly doing chemistry tests for the role.
Zoe Ball, who competed in the third series and later hosted spin-off It Takes Two for 10 seasons, has been named as a leading candidate. She guest hosted the main show in 2014, filling in for Winkleman. According to HuffPost UK, Ball described her enthusiasm, saying she would love the job.
The Sun named her as the frontrunner as recently as February. com, Ball teased she had something glamorous coming up but could not reveal details. Emma Willis, known for hosting The Voice, The Circle, Big Brother, This Morning, and Love Is Blind UK, has also been heavily linked.
I'm not in negotiations to join Strictly.
The Sun claimed the search had become a straight shoot-out between Ball and Willis. uk. O'Leary, who hosted The X Factor from 2008 until 2014 and returned in 2016, currently presents This Morning on Fridays and during school holidays with Alison Hammond, and hosts a Saturday show on BBC Radio 2.
Holly Willoughby has been suggested as a potential successor by Peter Fincham, former BBC One Controller, who told the Daily Mail she is being considered. If Willoughby takes the role, she could be reunited with Bradley Walsh. According to reports, the field has been whittled down to Ball, Rylan Clark, Angela Scanlon, and Willis, with Walsh, Alison Hammond, and Alex Jones also in the running.
Scanlon, a 2023 contestant who finished sixth, currently presents Apprentice aftershow You're Fired and was announced as Scott Mills's replacement on Eurovision coverage. She and Ball were the only rumored replacements to reply to a post announcing this year's professional line-up, according to reports. The presenting changes come amid other departures, with Gorka Marquez leaving after 10 years and Karen Hauer, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk, and Michelle Tsiakkas also exiting.
It Takes Two will be refreshed to reflect changing audiences, according to allegations. The BBC has not confirmed a timeline for the announcement, and it remains unknown whether any candidates are in active negotiations.