Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly announced their exits earlier this week (Image: BBC)

Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s replacements as presenters of Strictly Come Dancing has already become a scorching hot topic, after the revelation that they will be departing the hit programme at the conclusion of its current series. And two celebrities are leading the charge in the odds, as a partnership who have collaborated previously have been named as frontrunners to take over.

Strictly enthusiasts were left stunned on Thursday morning, when Claudia shared a statement on behalf of her and Tess, which confirmed they were departing and read: ‘We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series and we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to every single person who works on the show. They’re the most brilliant team and we’ll miss them every day.

“It added: ‘We will cry when we say the last “keep dancing” but we will continue to say it to each other. Just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza.”

Tess and Claudia will be replaced after the end of this series (Image: BBC)

The departing presenters also appeared in a video, in which Tess said the reason for leaving Strictly, was that the ‘time was right’ to ‘pass on the baton’ to someone else. While viewers were still digesting the news, bookmakers were quick to speculate on who might take over.

Betfair Slots were the first to release their odds, placing The Chase host Bradley Walsh, who also presents Blankety Blank for the BBC, as their favourite. The former Coronation Street actor is ahead of ex It Takes Two presenter Rylan, in second place, and Alison Hammond in third, reports Chronicle Live.

However, Casino Bets has a different celebrity leading the pack, with Holly Willoughby, who previously worked with Bradley on the cancelled BBC series Take Off, as the 2/1 favourite.

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Just behind her is Roman Kemp, presenter of BBC quiz show The Finish Line and poignant documentaries Our Silent Emergency and Fight for Young Lives, at odds of 3/1.

Other celebrities considered by Casino Bets include current It Takes Two hosts Fleur East (5/1) and Janette Manrara (6/1), whose familiarity with the show and strong fan base make them significant contenders. Former Strictly contestant Alex Scott, known for Football Focus and The One Show, is also in the running at 4/1.