Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Sarah Robertson

Claudia Winkleman fears she's 'outstayed her welcome' on Strictly Come Dancing

Claudia Winkleman believes Strictly bosses could suddenly “come to their senses” and tell her to quickstep out of the dance show.

The star, who has co-hosted for seven years with pal Tess Daly, said: “I feel I have outstayed my welcome.

“If the BBC comes to their senses tomorrow and says, ‘You know what? You’re right. We don’t know how this clerical error happened. We don’t know how you got through...’ well I have already had a great time and have been ridiculously lucky.”

The quirky presenter, 49, added: “Maybe Strictly is just a home video that they have created so I feel good about myself.

Who do you think will win this year's Strictly Come Dancing? Let us know in the comments?

Claudia also presents a show on BBC Radio 2 (BBC)
Tess and Claudia took over the Strictly helm from Bruce Forsyth in 2014 (BBC)

“I don’t believe it actually goes out on telly. I can get on the Tube in full sequins and hum the theme tune and nobody looks up – nobody. I don’t feel famous.”

Tess and Claudia took over the Strictly helm from Bruce Forsyth in 2014. Last year 13.2 million saw them host the final.

But Claudia, who also presents her Radio 2 show, reckons her jobs are child’s play. She said: “My friends at uni all got double firsts, which I didn’t, are now lawyers, doctors or nurses. They leave the house at 8.30am and get back at 8pm.

This year’s Strictly starts next month but the date is yet to be confirmed (PA)

Get all the latest celeb news straight to your inbox. Sign up to one of the Mirror's newsletters

“I work part-time, 11 or 10 Saturdays a year on Strictly and the others doing the radio. The rest of the time is mine to follow my children around and make them do pottery classes.

“It means if I was to fall out a skip hammered shouting, ‘EastEnders is my life!’ and someone papped it, I’d deserve it.”

The mum of three, wed to Kris Thykier for 21 years, also told broadcaster Emma Freud: “If I was not a TV presenter I would have liked to have been my children’s nanny.”

Earlier this year, she revealed she threatened to quit Strictly when a work day clashed with the date she was due to take son Jake, 18, to his first day at university.

This year’s Strictly starts next month but the date is yet to be confirmed.

Coral make McFly singer Tom Fletcher 4-1 favourite. Olympic champ Adam Peaty is 5-1, while Tilly Ramsay and Dan Walker are 6-1. Sara Davies is the 25-1 outsider.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.