Claudia Winkleman Denies That Strictly ‘Scandals’ Led Her To Quit

Claudia Winkleman has insisted that the various controversies surrounding Strictly Come Dancing were not behind her decision to leave the show.

In October 2025, Claudia and her co-host Tess Daly shocked Strictly fans when, in the middle of the most recent series, they announced they would be stepping down as its presenters at the end of the year.

During a new interview with the Daily Mail, the Traitors host was asked if the pair’s decision to leave came after “one scandal too many” for the long-running BBC dance show, to which she responded: “Absolutely not.”

“It is a genuinely beautiful show to be part of. Almost every single person who’s taken part is happy they did,” she responded. “So no, it wasn’t that.”

Claudia also claimed that she and Tess had decided the most recent season of Strictly would be their last “about a year before” they made their official announcement.

She said at the time: “Strictly is a magical, glittery, fake tanned train and it’s been a privilege to be a tiny part of it. The extraordinary talent of the dancers, the band, the hair and makeup and costume teams, the unbelievable production crew and creatives – all utterly amazing.

“I’ve always believed it’s best to leave a party before you’re fully ready to go and I know the new hosts will be magnificent, I look forward to watching them take Strictly to new heights.

“As for Tess – I’m so so lucky I got to stand next to you. You’re funny, kind, whip smart and a true friend and I love you.”

Following her Strictly exit, Claudia is currently gearing up for the debut of her new BBC talk show, made by the same team as The Graham Norton Show.

The launch date for the seven-part series was confirmed earlier this week, as well as the line-up of celebrity guests who’ll be joining Claudia in her first episode.

Meanwhile, a host of celebrities have been rumoured to be in the running to replace Tess and Claudia on Strictly, ahead of the show’s return in the autumn.