Strictly’s Tess and Claudia’s replacement ‘named’ by ex-judge live on air

Former BBC judge Dame Arlene Phillips has ‘named’ the next Strictly Come Dancing host to replace Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly. On Monday (October 27), the 82-year-old presenter appeared on Loose Women where she was quizzed about the major changes being made to the long-running reality show. She revealed who she would appoint as the next host of the BBC show, naming a beloved Ted Lasso star and a West End favourite as the next hosting duo.

When she was asked who she thought would be the best fit for the show, she told the panel: “At first, I thought it should be a non-dancer because they’ll be kind of unbiased and there are enough dancers there criticising. And then I thought, ‘No. How do you replace people?’

The ballroom expert went on to praise Claudia Winkleman for her success on the show, both as the host of It Takes Two and as the host of the main show. She gushed: “Claudia’s smart as a whip, and so funny. On It Takes Two, right from the beginning, it almost felt like we were making it up. Claudia nailed that show for everyone, so that’s hard.

It was at this point that she named Hannah Waddingham as her first choice to take over from the Traitors host. Arlene explained: “I think someone like Hannah Waddingham would just fall into that. She’s smart, off the page – not like a normal human being – she’s fun, up for a joke, and clever in every way.”

When asked who her sidekick on the show could be, Arlene immediately suggested a former Strictly contestant. The mum-of-two revealed: “And then I think we need someone kind of ditsy and warm and like the heart of the show.

“Can I just quickly mention, Layton Williams. He likes to dress up!” As the audience cheered, Jane Moore revealed who her next double act would be. She chuckled: “My money is on Alan Carr and Rylan, but there you go.”

It comes after the BBC legend reflected on the devastating loss she faced as a teen, admitting that it contributed to powering her focus and determination. Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk at the Women of the Year Awards, she told us: “After a major loss in my life, losing my mother when I was 15, it woke me up.

“I thought, ‘How am I going to grow up? How am I going to be a mother? But I knew I had to focus on moving forward, not looking back.” Following the death of her mum, Arlene stayed in her family home, where she received a grant from the local council to continue studying dance in Manchester and later became a teacher.

This then powered her decision to move to London in her early twenties, where she became an established dance teacher and ultimately created her dance group Hot Gossip,