Claudia Winkleman is leaving Strictly at the end of this series.
As Claudia Winkleman prepares to bow out of Strictly Come Dancing alongside co-host Tess Daly, speculation has been rife over who will take their place. Names such as former This Morning and Dancing on Ice presenter Holly Willoughby have been floated, but fans remain unconvinced.
On Reddit, one viewer suggested a pairing of former contestants Angela Scanlon and Layton Williams as replacements for Claudia and Tess—and Angela received widespread approval.
“I think Layton wouldn’t want to lose three months of the year on stage—it could cost him contracts for other shows. Definitely agree with Angela Scanlon—maybe her and Alex Jones? Alex as the new Tess, and Angela as the new Claudia?” one user commented.
Another added: “I like Layton, but I don’t see it working, to be honest. He’s extra in the best way, but I think he might be ‘too much’ for some viewers. Angela, on the other hand, seems like a natural fit for the role.”
Another fan weighed in: “Angela Scanlon, I agree with, but Layton is a hard pass… La Voix would be a much better replacement for Claudia.”
A different commenter suggested: “Angela would be fine—maybe her or Fleur East from It Takes Two. I definitely think one of the new duo should be Rylan. He was brilliant on It Takes Two, and you can tell how much he loves Strictly. I think he’d do great in Claudia’s role.”
Someone else added: “I think Angela Scanlon would be perfect, she seems so much fun! Not sure about Layton. As long as it’s not Holly Willoughby, lol. Janette or Fleur would also be good in my opinion.”
Meanwhile, another fan enthused: “I LOVEEEEE the choice of Angela. They should keep it as two women! Imagine Angela and AJ Odudu?!”
Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly officially announced their departure as hosts of Strictly Come Dancing in a joint statement and Instagram post on October 23.
They wrote: “Hosting Strictly as a duo has been an absolute dream, and we’ve loved every moment. We always knew we would leave together, and now feels like the right time.
“We’re looking forward to enjoying the rest of this incredible series, and we want to say a huge thank you to the BBC and every single person who works on the show.
“They are the most brilliant team, and we’ll miss them every day. We’ll cry when we say the final ‘keep dancing,’ but we’ll still keep saying it to each other—probably in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza!”