A series of Strictly Come Dancing presenting auditions are reportedly being held in London this week, with nine hosting candidates going head-to-head.
A slew of famous names have been tipped to take up the hosting duo helm since Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman left the BBC dance competition last year.
The likes of Rylan Clark, Alison Hammond, and Emma Willis are all rumoured to have been lined up to potentially front the ballroom show.
With six months to go until the 24th series kicks off, nine shortlisted stars have reportedly been summoned to a secret location in London to audition for the roles.
The celebrities will face off in chemistry tests during dress rehearsals with a judging panel and a live band from Monday to Friday, according to The Sun.
“It's not just about reading autocue. They'll be looking at how people work together and humour is a massive part of it. There's everything to play for,” a source said.
The candidates will be watched closely by bosses, who are reportedly hoping to make a decision soon.
The stars who are auditioning are thought to be Rylan Clark, Emma Willis, Tom Allen, podcast host Angela Scanlon and One Show presenter Alex Jones.
Also in the callbacks are This Morning host Alison Hammond, The Chase presenter Bradley Walsh, RuPaul's Drag Race star La Voix and Radio 2's Zoe Ball.
“They really want to bring the fun this year. It's all about chemistry who clicks instantly and can keep the energy up live on air,” an insider explained.
“They could stick with two female hosts as that's worked brilliantly. But they're also open to mixing it up.
“If Rylan and Tom Allen click, that could be a hilarious pairing. Equally, they could even introduce a third presenter to shake things up.”
The Standard has contacted the BBC for comment.
It was previously claimed that bosses are eyeing up Rylan Clark and Angela Scanlon as a successful pairing.
“Rylan has a long-standing association with the show, and Angela has been a contestant,” an insider told the Mail.
“But the main thing is they'd be a totally new pairing – no baggage, no former shows, uniquely Strictly.”
The insider added that it was important to pick the right candidate if they didn’t stick to an all-female hosting duo.
Sources claimed Clark is “very keen” to be paired with Scanlon, who was a contestant in the series in 2023, and feels it would be his “dream job”.
Clark fronted It Takes Two between 2019 and 2023. He also hosts his own Rylan On Saturday show on Radio 2 and has presented on ITV's This Morning.
Winkleman and Daly announced they will step down from Strictly after 21 years in a joint statement on Instagram.
Daly had fronted Strictly since it launched in 2004 with Sir Bruce Forsyth, while Winkleman became her full-time co-host in 2014 after first hosting the spin-off series the year it began.
