News Beat
Strictly to give Tess and Claudia huge surprise as part of final live show as tribute set to ‘blow viewers away’
STRICTLY bosses will give hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman a spectacular send-off tomorrow night — with a huge surprise planned.
An emotional tribute to the departing duo is lined up for the grand final, where former Lioness Karen Carney, influencer George Clarke and West End star Amber Davies will compete for the glitterball.
It is expected to include messages from a long line of celebrity and VIP wellwishers who are linked to the show — or just huge fans.
Tess, 56, and her pal Claudia, 53, have been kept in the dark on the plans as they prepare to bid farewell to the BBC One show they have presented together for 11 years.
A Strictly insider said: “There will be one message which will particularly blow viewers away and cap off what has been an incredible run for Tess and Claudia.
“It will be an intense moment on a farewell show which already promises to be highly emotional.
“Bosses have gone to great lengths to ensure that they get a send-off worthy of two Strictly legends who’ve helped make the contest what it is today.
“Though Tess and Claudia will no doubt be expecting some kind of farewell, bosses are keeping what they’ve done and what they have planned closely under wraps to maximise the surprise.
“But viewers won’t have seen anything like it.”
Although this is the pair’s final live Strictly show, they will also be shown hosting the pre-recorded festive special, to be aired on Christmas Day.
Audience members saw Tess and Claudia reduced to tears as it was being filmed, and The Sun exclusively revealed they dispensed with tradition and delivered a few moves of their own.
That included taking part in a group routine with the pros and Tess enjoying a Paso Doble moment with Aljaz Skorjanec.
The pair, who revealed in October the bombshell news they were leaving, are likely to be even more emotional tomorrow night, on what is expected to be one of the most-watched finals in years.
The popular hosts — who have both recently received MBEs from King Charles, who is said to be a fan of the show — will bid farewell to the audience, viewers at home, the pros, judges, production team and other staff at Elstree Studios.
Tess has known many of the team for more than 20 years, having co-hosted the show since its launch in 2004, alongside Bruce Forsyth.
In that time there have been a long line of grateful celebrities who have seen their careers launched or turbo-charged as a result of competing on Strictly.
They include Susanna Reid who took part in 2013, then went from hosting BBC Breakfast to bagging a million-pound contract on ITV’s Good Morning Britain — a role she has held ever since.
Alison Hammond, who competed on the show in 2014, went on to become one of Britain’s biggest TV stars, including landing gigs on ITV’s This Morning and For the Love of Dogs as well as Channel 4’s Great British Bake Off.
Alesha Dixon won in 2007 then became a Strictly judge before moving to the panel on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent.
Others following a similar path include Bruno Tonioli, who quit as a judge three years ago as it clashed with his Dancing with the Stars role — before briefly becoming a panellist on BGT too.
Tributes are also likely to come from former pros, including Oti Mabuse, who won the show twice and went on to carve out a new career after leaving in 2022.
All have adored appearing alongside the presenters, either in the main auditorium or in what has become known as “The Clauditorium”, where Ms Winkleman conducts interviews with the dancers after their routines.
Claudia once said she would never be able to leave Strictly, where she became full-time co-host in 2014 after the departure of Sir Bruce.
She once joked about the idea of handing in her notice to her Beeb bosses, saying: “I’ll do it for as long as they want me.
“They’d have to prise my cold, dead hands off that shiny glitterball.”
Meanwhile Tess, according to her BBC Radio 2 hubby DJ Vernon Kay, holds the show in equally high regard, likening it to a part of their family.
Dad of two Vernon once said: “It’s like our third child.
“Tess started the show in its infancy — its first-ever series when it was just a wee baby.
“Then we had our first baby and subsequently we had Amber, so we’ve grown up with it as like a family member.
“It sleeps for the majority of the year, but come August, when they start prepping outfits and talking about contestants, that’s when that baby comes alive.”
Now the duo are putting their baby to bed, and are set to do so in suitably spectacular style.
Sister show It Takes Two, which Claudia presented from 2004 to 2010, has already paid tribute to the pair.
Tess said at the time: “It’s going to be a bit of a shock on the 20th — I might get emotional.”
Claudia, who is now the host of BBC’s hugely popular The Traitors, added: “I think we will be emotional, but of course it won’t be about us.
“It’ll be about the winners.
“So that’s quite good.
“We’re not allowed to cry.
“But afterwards, we’ll hold each other very tight and then cry.”
- The Strictly Come Dancing final is on BBC One tomorrow night, 7pm.
