Joe Sugg has shared his thoughts on the recent announcement by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman regarding their departure from Strictly Come Dancing. In a new YouTube video, Sugg suggested that the decision to leave the show was “rushed” due to pressure from the media. He noted that the pair may have moved up their announcement to beat a news outlet from breaking the story first.
Sugg, who competed on the show in 2018 alongside his real-life partner Dianne Buswell, recalled a similar situation when he and Buswell had to announce her pregnancy in September. An unnamed media outlet contacted them with information about the news before they had even told their friends and family.
“We had to announce it slightly rushed,” he said. “And I don’t know if it's the same reason why Claudia and Tess had to rush their news out – if it was, then it's very annoying. But basically, we had an email on a Friday saying, ‘Hello, we have very reliable sources that have told us that you're having a child. It's such lovely news. So we're going to tell everyone this Sunday.’”
He added that he and Buswell were planning to tell their families that weekend anyway, but they decided to move up the announcement so they could also share the news with their fans before it became public.
Daly and Winkleman revealed their decision to step away from presenting duties in an Instagram video posted on Thursday morning (23 October). In the video, they stated that they would be leaving after the current series. Winkleman mentioned that there had been “rumblings” about the news and that they wanted fans to “hear it from us.”
The pair described their time on the show as “an absolute dream,” but they felt it was time to pass over the baton. Daly, 56, has hosted the show for 21 years, while Winkleman, 53, joined as co-presenter on the main show in 2014, after previously hosting It Takes Two for a decade.
Their departure comes amid a series of controversies for the BBC’s flagship programme. Most recently, Strictly faced criticism for casting controversial Apprentice contestant and internet personality Thomas Skinner, after he was pictured socialising with US vice president JD Vance.
Last year, professional dancer Giovanni Pernice was axed after Sherlock star Amanda Abbington’s accusations of bullying and harassment were partly upheld by an inquiry. Weeks after he left the show, professional dancer Graziano Di Prima was also dropped over alleged mistreatment of his celebrity partner, Zara McDermott, in 2023.
At the beginning of Saturday’s Strictly episode (25 October), Daly told the audience: “Just before we get started, Claudia and I announced this week that this will be our last series of Strictly Come Dancing.” Winkleman added: “We want to thank you for your beautiful messages. We've got another eight weeks but it's not about us. It’s about this incredible show and a Strictly champion to crown.”
The current series is still underway, featuring celebrity contestants including actor Alex Kingston, Emmerdale’s Lewis Cope, model Ellie Goldstein, and Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK star La Voix.
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