The long-awaited announcement of the brand new Strictly Come Dancing hosts might be simply across the nook.
In December, Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman shocked viewers by asserting it was the ‘proper time’ for them to depart, having at all times insisted they would depart collectively.
In fact, rumours rapidly started swirling round who would exchange them, with a number of the greatest names in British tv reportedly shortlisted for the high-profile gig, from Holly Willoughby to Alan Carr and Amanda Holden.
Now, we’re mentioned to be right down to the ultimate 9, with chemistry exams scheduled for this week to find out who bosses will select to take the reins, with auditionees together with Rylan Clark, Zoe Ball, and a few shock names.
In keeping with The Solar, the auditions will begin tomorrow and final till Friday.
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They’ll have all of the bells and whistles, mimicking a Strictly dwell present to see who has received what it takes to ship.
Going down in a top-secret London location, the full-scale costume runs might be full with judges and even a dwell band to duplicate all of the Strictly magic we all know and love.
A supply informed the publication that the potential presenters have signed NDAs to maintain the tryouts on the down low, with even the crew sworn to complete secrecy.
‘It’s not nearly studying autocue,’ mentioned an insider. ‘They’ll be how folks work collectively, and humour is a large a part of it.
‘There’s all the things to play for.’
What’s extra, Sarah James, who has been Strictly’s govt producer since 2019, and the BBC’s head of leisure, Kalpna Patel-Knight, will oversee proceedings. Incoming director-general Matt Brittin, who takes over formally subsequent month, will even be saved within the loop.
Describing the flagship present as ‘the crown jewel of the BBC’, a TV supply defined that ‘it must be dealt with with the utmost care’; therefore, ‘bosses are taking a really eager curiosity’.
They’re even reportedly going so far as intently vetting candidates’ pasts in case any skeletons emerge from their closets, refusing to ‘take any possibilities’ after quite a few Strictly scandals prior to now.
So, who’re the ultimate 9 contenders?
Rylan Clark
Rylan Clark has been hotly tipped for the Strictly gig because the starting, and he’s no stranger to its glowing world, having co-hosted the BBC Two spin-off It Takes Two for 4 years.
The 37-year-old has additionally constructed up a wealth of dwell broadcasting expertise since his X Issue days, with common slots on This Morning, Eurovision, and his personal present on BBC Radio 2.
‘Rylan is absolutely excited,’ a supply mentioned forward of auditions.
‘He sees this as a large alternative and needs to point out precisely what he can do.’
Emma Willis
Emma Willis is reportedly ‘eager to wow in entrance of the cameras’ as she steps into the studio for auditions.
Her title has lengthy been within the operating, with headlines in February claiming she was in a ‘straight shoot-out’ for the job as ‘senior execs desire a conventional presenter’ working alongside a extra ‘left-field individual’, similar to a humorist.
The 50-year-old is greatest identified for internet hosting a number of the nation’s greatest leisure reveals, similar to Large Brother, The Voice, and Netflix’s Love Is Blind UK.
She’s additionally a professional on the subject of extra severe, emotional broadcasting, having hosted on Comedian Reduction and made a docuseries known as Making Infants.
What’s extra, Emma is a frequent face on This Morning, which she’s co-presented with Rylan, one thing that might work of their favour.
‘It’s a pairing that works and viewers love,’ a supply acknowledged.
Tom Allen
Comic Tom Allen would undoubtedly deliver the liveliness, selecting up the place Claudia left off with the chaos upstairs within the Claudatorium.
And this will put him in a robust place, as sources have mentioned higher-ups ‘actually wish to deliver the enjoyable this yr’.
They added that if Rylan clicks with Tom on-screen, it may make for a ‘hilarious pairing’.
Tom, 42, has change into a daily on our screens lately, with appearances on panel reveals like 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and stand-up units on Reside on the Apollo.
He’s hosted Bake Off’s sister present, An Additional Slice, The Apprentice: You’re Fired!, and Cooking with the Stars.
Angela Scanlon
Angela Scanlon is aware of Strictly very properly, having appeared as a contestant in 2023, ending in sixth place with professional associate Carlos Gu.
Now, she might be set for a really completely different function, with insiders claiming that bosses would possibly ‘persist with two feminine hosts’ because it’s ‘labored brilliantly’ since 2014.
Angela, 42, started her broadcasting profession on Irish TV and has since added a string of esteemed gigs to her CV, together with The One Present and succeeding Graham Norton on Virgin Radio.
She’s additionally confirmed she has the required banter on her podcast, Get A Grip, with 2025 Strictly contestant Vicky Pattison.
Alex Jones
Welsh broadcaster Alex Jones is properly built-in within the BBC household, having fronted The One Present since 2010, which she took over from Christine Lampard.
Alex, 49, who did Strictly herself in 2011, was initially reported to be within the operating alongside Bradley Walsh, who additionally stays within the shortlist.
In November, insiders even claimed it was just about a finished cope with the 2, saying: ‘They’ve been within the BBC’s sights for a while, as Tess and Claudia’s exit plan has been identified for some time.
As for the dynamic the doable duo may deliver to screens, they added: ‘Bradley and Alex are each seen as achieved broadcasters. He brings the wisecracks, and Alex is the calm head who is aware of methods to deal with dwell conditions after 15 years of co-hosting The One Present.
‘Alex is a large fan of Strictly, too, so this is able to be the dream gig for her.’
Bradley Walsh
The Chase host Bradley was mentioned to be ‘transferring in a optimistic route’ together with his Strictly talks final autumn, and viewers threw their help behind him.
Nonetheless, the 65-year-old reportedly faces a dilemma, since he and his son, Barney, are additionally the face of one other Saturday evening present, Gladiators.
Ought to he achieve success in getting the Strictly job, he could need to stroll away from the reboot.
A supply informed The Solar this month: ‘Bradley is massively bold and hard-working and internet hosting Strictly was a job he was born to do. However household is massively essential to him. He’s very near Barney and has helped him all through his profession.
‘His son is presently having fun with having the largest job of his life thus far, but it surely’s unlikely the Beeb would let his dad host two massive Saturday evening reveals.’
They added that ‘producers need stars to be synonymous with these reveals, and doing two massive leisure blockbusters on the BBC doesn’t sit properly with channel chiefs’.
So, does Bradley keep on Gladiators and ‘safe his son’s future’, or go for ‘the job of a lifetime?’
La Voix
La Voix made it very clear final sequence that she needed to go from Strictly contestant to Strictly host, jokingly asking Claudia for the handle to submit CVs.
She additionally had varied presenting segments to digicam and bantered forwards and backwards with Tess over her outfits every week, to not point out with the judges over their criticisms.
The 46-year-old drag queen (actual title Christopher Dennis) was devastated to chop her Strictly journey brief with professional associate Aljaž Skorjanec simply earlier than Blackpool on account of a foot damage, however certainly securing the internet hosting slot would greater than make up for it.
It’s mentioned that she is ‘very talked-about’ amongst bosses, with The Solar reporting: ‘They’ve talked about La Voix’s title so much.
‘She’s positively a favorite with some, however nothing is ready in stone but.’
Alison Hammond
There’s no denying that Alison Hammond is a British TV icon, having first stolen the nation’s hearts as a Large Brother housemate earlier than touchdown a job on This Morning.
Alison, 51, has been out and in a number of instances over current months however acknowledged earlier this month that it was ‘unrealistic’ for her to host Strictly.
‘I’m so busy, babes, that I’m undecided it’s going to occur,’ she quipped to the Radio Instances.
‘I might have beloved to have finished it – anyone that will get it, they’re going to land the proper job. However I’m so proud of all the things I’ve received. What would I drop to do Strictly?’
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Nonetheless, in an enormous U-turn, the daytime star and 2014 Strictly contestant informed Metro the next weeks that she was shocked that everybody thought she’d ‘turned down’ the job.
‘Do you suppose I might flip down Strictly if Strictly got here alongside? Who would flip down Strictly? They’d be completely loopy,’ she mentioned, throwing her hat firmly again into the ring.
She defined: ‘I used to be attempting to again them off as a result of in the end everybody retains placing my title within the combine they usually’re ruining my probabilities of even getting on to Strictly, are you aware what I imply?
‘You all have to cease speaking about it as a result of I have to get in.’
Zoe Ball
Final however not least, we’ve one of many BBC’s highest earners, Zoe Ball.
Zoe, 55, fuelled rumours that she was taking the job when she stepped down from her radio present. She’s additionally declared that she’d ‘love’ to do it.
Addressing hypothesis that she’s a frontrunner, Zoe informed The Instances in January that Strictly is ‘all anybody talks to [her] about’ now.
She added: ‘In the meanwhile, I’m in mourning for Tess and Claud as a result of I like these women. I feel everybody’s title is being thrown into the combo.
Describing the present as a ‘beast,’ she continued: ‘Clearly, there’s a part of me that may like to do it. However I’ll nonetheless be watching, whoever hosts it.’
Zoe can be well-versed on the subject of Strictly’s internal workings, having been a contestant 20 years in the past, ending third, earlier than internet hosting It Takes Two from 2011 to 2021.
She even had a spell of fronting the principle present in 2014 when Claudia was on depart after her daughter suffered severe burn accidents, and has hosted the Reside Tour twice.
When contacted beforehand for a remark, a Strictly spokesperson informed Metro that plans for the brand new sequence might be confirmed ‘in the end’.
Strictly Come Dancing returns to the BBC later this yr.
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