Strictly Come Dancing has honoured its hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman with a special tribute ahead of their upcoming exit. Earlier this year, the presenting duo announced that they would be leaving the dancing show at the end of 2025.
Tess has been a part of Strictly since it first aired in 2004, hosting alongside the legendary Sir Bruce Forsyth. Claudia, who presented spin-off It Takes Two, later moved over to the Sunday night results show, before taking over from Sir Bruce on the main show in 2014.
With this year's grand final taking place next week, the Strictly team took the opportunity to organise a surprise celebration for the pair, to commemorate their last ever series.
In tonight's semi-final results show, Tess and Claudia were shown an emotional highlight reel of their impressive tenure, featuring interviews from the judges and footage from their early years.
"Tess and Claudia together, I think, are a power couple," Craig Revel Horwood said in the VT. "And they sort of go together like Laurel and Hardy."
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The montage left everyone in the studio misty-eyed, including the judges, who revealed another special surprise for the beloved hosts.
With the help of professional dancer Kai Widdrington, they awarded Tess and Claudia their own golden Glitterball Trophies - the first of their kind.
"Thank you so much. I can't believe that we're so lucky. It's been an honour," said Claudia, with Tess adding: "You guys are like family to us, and we'll always feel like that about you. The whole team is just the best team. We've had the most amazing time."
Next Saturday will mark the very last full series episode presented by the pair, as the remaining three couples battle it out to win their own Glitterball.
However, fans will get to see Claudia and Tess presenting one final time on Christmas Day during the pre-recorded Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special.
Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturdays on BBC One, while spin-off Strictly: It Takes Two airs on weeknights on BBC Two. Both shows are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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Divya is a freelance writer with experience in entertainment and lifestyle news. Described as a "telly addict" since childhood, Divya was able to translate her interests into a BJTC-accredited, Honours degree in Journalism and Media. After working in communications and marketing, Divya joined Digital Spy as a Freelance News Reporter. She has also written for various publications including Metro, Asian World News and TwitCelebGossip; as well as interviews, features and reviews on her own blog. Divya prides herself on her TV, film and showbiz knowledge, always offering (not so) fun facts to her long-suffering friends and family. From soaps to superheroes, Divya is the go-to person for tailored recommendations and up to date information.
