Claudia Winkleman reveals why she almost didn't sign up to host Strictly this year
The presenter was apprehensive she might have to chose between Strictly and a big family milestone.
There's already been a high-profile change to the Strictly Come Dancing judging panel this year – and it seems we were quite close to seeing a shift in the presenting team as well.
Claudia Winkleman, who has presented the ballroom extravaganza alongside Tess Daly since 2014, has revealed she almost bowed out of the show in dramatic fashion because she thought the first episode of this series would clash with her son moving to university.
Speaking on the Woman's Hour podcast, she said she had called executive producer Sarah James to explain the situation before being reassured that she had her dates mixed up.
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"I phoned the boss of Strictly quite dramatically and said, through tears, 'Sarah I love you, I never want to leave Strictly and Tess and I have agreed we will leave together when they're done with us, that's fine, but if the first show is September 13, I'm out and you'll have to go with somebody else,'" she said.
"There was a beat... and she went, 'Quite dramatic. We don't start that week.' I was like 'OK!' Because it's a right of passage; I have to go and hang up his posters.
"It's not because I love him more than other people love their kids but I think this is something parents have to go through, and I don't know how it's going to work exactly."
Strictly will return to BBC One this autumn with a new batch of celebrities looking to follow in the footsteps of last year's champ Bill Bailey.
It was announced last month that long-time Strictly professional Anton Du Beke would be taking up a new role on the judging panel as a replacement for Bruno Tonioli, with the Italian once again unable to travel to the UK for this year's series due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Du Beke appeared briefly on the panel last season and has said that it is "a dream come true" to become a more permanent judge after having appeared on all 18 previous series of the programme.
Meanwhile, another professional who won't be taking to the dance floor this year is Janette Manrara, who is set to replace Zoe Ball as a host of Strictly: It Takes Two alongside Rylan Clark-Neal.
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One this autumn. Stay up to date with all the latest Entertainment news with our dedicated hub, or to find out what’s on telly tonight, check out our TV Guide.
Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.