Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly are preparing for an emotional goodbye to Strictly Come Dancing, with their final live show taking place on December 20, 2025.
The Christmas Day special will officially mark their departure from the BBC series.
The duo, who have fronted Strictly together since 2014, announced earlier this year that they would step down from their hosting roles.
Ms Daly has been with the show since its launch in 2004, originally presenting alongside the late Sir Bruce Forsyth, while Ms Winkleman joined the main programme after hosting It Takes Two.
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Strictly’s Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly are set to perform a farewell dance together
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Tuesday’s edition of It Takes Two dedicated a special tribute to the pair, featuring montages celebrating their long-running partnership.
Ms Daly’s segment showed clips of her years working with Sir Bruce Forsyth, while Ms Winkleman’s included footage of her taking dance lessons from the late judge Len Goodman.
When asked by host Fleur East if the reality of leaving had sunk in, Ms Daly admitted she had barely thought about it due to being “so absorbed” in this year’s series.
“I think it’d be a bit of a shock on the 20th. I might get emotional,” she added.
BBC It Takes Two
|BBC
Ms Winkleman agreed, saying: “I think we will be emotional, but of course, it won’t be about us. It’ll be about the winners.”
Ms Daly joked, “So we’re not allowed to cry,” to which Ms Winkleman replied: “We’re not… but afterwards, we will hold each other very tight and cry. Because it’s a lot.”
The presenters have emphasised that their focus remains on the contestants, not their own farewell.
Four celebrities are through to the semi-final: Balvinder Sopal, George Clarke, Karen Carney and Amber Davies, who survived last week’s dance-off.
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Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly co-hosted BBC It Takes Two on Tuesday
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The Christmas special, filmed on Monday evening, will feature Ms Winkleman and Ms Daly performing a farewell routine with the professional dancers.
It marks a rare moment of choreography for the pair, best known for a quick shimmy and a “keep dancing” sign-off.
A television insider said both presenters acknowledge they are not natural dancers, but the routine is an important send-off.
Producers are keeping details secret but have promised a fun, celebratory performance.
Ms Daly previously performed a waltz with Sir Bruce Forsyth during a 2015 *Children in Need* broadcast.
Ms Winkleman has long downplayed her abilities, once joking: “I’m not very good at standing, let alone dancing.”
Hours before the tribute aired, Ms Winkleman received her MBE at Windsor Castle for services to broadcasting.
She wore an ivory suit with a matching headband and was accompanied by her parents and husband, film producer Kris Thykier.
Tess and Claudia’s final Strictly episode will be the Christmas Day special
|BBC
Posting on Instagram, she wrote: “An incredible morning and an enormous honour. I’m speechless.”
Ms Daly was also honoured recently, receiving her MBE from the King last month.
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