Tess Daly has announced she is leaving Strictly Come Dancing.
Tess Daly has spoken about whether her husband, Vernon Kay, might ever take part in Strictly Come Dancing, ahead of her surprising exit from the show.
On Thursday, 23 October, it was announced that Tess, 56, a mainstay of Strictly since its launch in 2004, and her co-host Claudia Winkleman, 53, who joined in 2014, will be leaving the popular BBC One programme.
In a statement, the BBC said:
“After many wonderful years in the ballroom, Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have confirmed they are saying goodbye to Strictly Come Dancing. Tess and Claudia have co-hosted the show together since 2014.”
Prior to the announcement of her departure, Tess had been asked whether her husband Vernon might participate in Strictly as a contestant.
Tess Daly commented on the possibility of her husband, Vernon Kay, taking part in Strictly Come Dancing: “It would mean both of us being away from home, which would be tricky as parents. Being away from September to Christmas would be a lot. But still, never say never. He’d probably be good, he’s a pretty decent dancer.”
Tess and Vernon, married since 2003, are parents to two daughters, Phoebe, 21, and Amber, 16.
Their remarks come after Tess and Claudia Winkleman released a joint statement about their departure on Thursday: “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.”
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman shared their heartfelt farewell message: “We’re going to enjoy the rest of this incredible series and want to give a huge thank you to the BBC and everyone who works on the show. They’re an amazing team, and we’ll miss them every day.
“We’ll shed tears when we say the final ‘keep dancing,’ but we’ll keep saying it to each other, probably in tracksuit bottoms at home with some pizza in hand.”
The duo will officially leave Strictly Come Dancing at the end of the current series, with their last appearance together set for the Strictly Christmas Special, which will air on Christmas Day on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.