Joe Sugg has suggested that Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s Strictly Come Dancing exit announcement was “rushed” due to pressure from the media.
Sugg, who competed on the programme in 2018 alongside his real-life partner Dianne Buswell, said in a new YouTube video that the duo may have moved their announcement forward to get ahead of a news outlet breaking the story before them.
Sugg explained that he and Buswell were previously “rushed” into announcing her pregnancy in September after an unnamed media outlet had contacted them about publishing the news before they had 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.’”
Sugg added that he and Buswell were going to tell their families that weekend anyway, but were forced to move up the announcement so that they could also inform fans before the news broke.
Daly and Winkleman revealed the news of their departure in an Instagram video posted on Thursday morning (23 October), stating that they would be stepping away from presenting duties after the current series.
Winkleman said in the video 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 that it is 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, having previously hosted It Takes Two for a decade.
Their departure comes in the wake of a series of controversies for the BBC’s embattled 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, starring 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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