"It was time": Claudia Winkleman reflects on decision to leave Strictly with Tess Daly

Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly stunned the Strictly Come Dancing world when they stepped down from presenting the show.

Their decision was announced in October 2025, just weeks into last year’s series, which proved to be the pair’s last.

Winkleman and Daly have since been replaced by the trio of Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and former Strictly professional dancer Johannes Radebe.

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A year on from her decision to leave the much-loved dancing show, Winkleman discussed her Strictly exit with Harper's Bazaar UK for the magazine's December/January issue, which is on sale from 6 November.

After two decades on Strictly, Winkleman and her co-host of 11 years Daly felt the show needed to go in a new direction.

“That was a long discussion between Tess and me,” Winkleman explained. “We never lost our love for the show, but it was time. That show deserved something new.”

Though Winkleman is known by many for her stint on Strictly, she is the face of another popular BBC show, The Traitors.

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Since the game show first aired in 2022, it has taken the UK by storm with the intense psychological and strategic warfare between the contestants, coupled with its medieval theme.

Viewing figures reached a peak of 11.6 million during the finale of the Celebrity series, which aired on Friday October 30.

Comedian Romesh Ranganathan and singer Sebastian Croft outlasted the Traitors and their fellow Faithful players, before splitting the prize money between them for their chosen charities.

Reflecting on The Traitors and its success, Winkleman admits she initially turned down the opportunity to present the show, before she was convinced to watch the Dutch original series, titled De Verraders.

“I’m always in bed at 9pm with my book, but I started watching, and at midnight, I sent her a text saying, ‘I’ll buy my own ticket,” the host said.

“I find the whole thing fascinating. It’s such a good game. I’m so into it, like I’ve never been on anything else. I live and breathe it."

Traitors fans will not have to wait long to see Winkleman back on our screens with the civilian version of the show, which is set to commence in January 2027.

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As she looks ahead to the new series, Winkleman disclosed her observations from presenting the celebrity and civilian versions of The Traitors.

“What I’ve learnt from Traitors is that gut feeling doesn’t exist. And I don’t think you can spot a liar,” she said.

“The other lesson is that even if you know something for a fact, if you don’t have people behind you and believing in you, it doesn’t matter. The Round Table is all about the power of persuasion.”

“[Being able to listen to the debate] is the greatest honour of my working life. There was this moment in series one when traitor turned on traitor, and I remember I was shaking and shallow breathing. It blew my mind.”

The Celebrity Traitors seasons one and two are available to stream now on BBC iPlayer.

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