Zoe Ball’s Heartbreak and the Search for Strictly Come Dancing Hosts
Zoe Ball has shared her disappointment after not landing the role of Strictly Come Dancing host. Following Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s announcement that they would be stepping down, numerous celebrities were considered for the position. Zoe, who previously hosted the Strictly spin-off It Takes Two, revealed she “didn’t get” the gig and is currently “working through the seven stages of grief and rejection.”
Despite missing out on the opportunity, Zoe expressed her support for the individuals who did secure the role. She emphasized that the BBC made the “right decision.” On her Dig It podcast with Jo Whiley, Zoe said: “I didn’t get it, but it’s OK.” She continued, “I have worked through the seven stages of grief and rejection over the last couple of days. No, I didn’t get it. But I tell you what, if [it’s] who I think has got it, we’re in safe hands and our new hosts are going to be fabulous. I’m so thrilled for them, and hopefully at a later date we’ll be able to talk about them in more detail.”
The 55-year-old added, “I was so chuffed to even be in the mix. There were some pretty amazing people who didn’t even make it into the mix. So I made it in the mix, and I had a really fun time having one last little play at a show that I love and adore. And I’m so thrilled for the gang that has got it.”
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Emma Willis Set to Join Strictly Come Dancing
Emma Willis is reportedly set to be announced as one of the new hosts for Strictly Come Dancing. According to a source, Emma impressed during the chemistry tests, with BBC bosses seeing her as a “safe pair of hands.” A source said: “Emma has been offered the Strictly job and is going to accept. She absolutely nailed the chemistry tests and the BBC adore her.”
Emma is a household name and a safe pair of hands, so the BBC know she will do the job justice. She’s incredibly popular with the public too and will suit the role down to a tee. She was absolutely thrilled to have been offered the job.
The insider also told The Sun: “Strictly is one of the biggest shows on television and to be trusted with the new era is something Emma feels incredibly proud and humbled by.”
A BBC spokesman told the Daily Mail last night: “Plans for Strictly Come Dancing 2026 will be confirmed in due course.”
The Future of Strictly Come Dancing
Emma has held presenting roles on The Voice UK, Big Brother, The Circle and Love Is Blind: UK, which she fronts alongside her husband, Matt. There have been plenty of other names thrown into the mix to take over in the past few months, including Rylan Clark, Alison Hammond and Alex Jones.
After weeks of speculation and multiple major names turning the job down, nine shortlisted stars were recently summoned to a top-secret location in London to battle it out in full-scale dress rehearsals with a judging panel and live band. BBC bosses forced the stars to sign strict NDAs to keep the tryouts under wraps and are hoping to announce a decision soon.
Among those confirmed to be in the callbacks were Rylan, Emma, Tom Allen and Alex.
Returning Dancers and New Themes
The Beeb has given an insight into what fans can expect for the 24th series of the much-loved programme. The likes of Dianne Buswell, Nancy Xu, Vito Coppola, Julian Caillon, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, Amy Dowden, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Jowita Przystał, Johannes Radebe, Aljaž Škorjanec, Alexis Warr, and Kai Widdrington will be returning to the dance floor this year. They will be joined by some professional dancers who are yet to be announced.
It comes after Karen Hauer, Gorka Marquez, Nadiya Bychkova, Michelle Tsiakkas, and Luba Mushtuk were all given the boot. The celebrities will be judged by Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton du Beke.
Some of the themes returning each week will include Movies, Icons, Halloween and Musicals, as well as the annual visit to the Blackpool Tower Ballroom.
The End of an Era
Claudia recently hinted that Strictly Come Dancing’s “glitz and glamour had started to wear off” for her and co-host Tess. The BBC presenter, 54, quit the hit BBC competition last year after 13 years alongside Tess, 57, who was a host for 21 years. Asked by Closer magazine if the glitz and glamour had started to wear off for them both, she replied: “It’s not that I wasn’t excited at the end, but both of us were a bit like, ‘Oh yeah cool. All right, so then I do that…’”
