Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will bow out of Strictly Come Dancing tonight, more than a decade after they began co-hosting the BBC show.
The duo will make their final appearance in the Strictly Christmas Special, which airs on BBC One at 5.30pm.
Daly and Winkleman’s announcement in October was a huge upset for fans and their famous supporters, while much has been made of who might replace them on the embattled programme.
Daly, 56, began presenting the show 21 years ago alongside the late Sir Bruce Forsyth, while Winkleman, 53, joined her in 2014, having hosted Strictly’s sister show It Takes Two since 2004.
In a joint statement announcing their impending departure, the pair said hosting the show had been “an absolute dream”, while not giving any specific reason for their decision.
They said they had known they were “always going to leave together” and that “now feels like the right time”.
“We will cry when we say the last 'keep dancing' but we will continue to say it to each other. Just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza,” they remarked.
During the semi-final on 13 December, a special compilation of their best moments aired, featuring interviews with the judges as well as former contestants.
Both were made Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) earlier this year by King Charles III for their services to broadcasting.
They presented the emotional Strictly final for the last time last Saturday, and were stunned as a special message was shared from Queen Camilla.
Read aloud by judge Craig Revel Horwood, she said the pair’s “warmth, compassion and sheer happiness” had been at the core of the show’s success.
“I think I speak for everyone when I say you have been utterly fab-u-lous,” the Queen said.
Daly is set to perform an Argentine tango with professional dancer Aljaz Skorjanec during tonight’s Christmas special, while Winkleman will feature in a parody of the beloved Christmas film Love Actually.
The segment will see her open a door to Dave Arch, the composer for the Strictly band, who will greet her holding large placards. These will read “say it’s carol singers” and “to me, you are perfect”, echoing the notorious scene from Love Actually where Andrew Lincoln’s character, Mark, declares his affection for Juliet, played by Keira Knightley.
The six celebrities competing for the coveted champion title include TV personality Scarlett Moffatt paired with Vito Coppola; All Saints singer Melanie Blatt dancing with Kai Widdrington; and EastEnders star Nicholas Bailey, partnered with Luba Mushtuk.
Actor and podcaster Babatunde Aleshe will perform with Nancy Xu, Westlife’s Brian McFadden with Michelle Tsiakkas, and Gladiator Jodie Ounsley with Neil Jones.
Meanwhile, bookmakers are already sharing predictions about the contenders who might step into their shoes, with Radio 2 presenter and former It Takes Two host Zoe Ball named as the 2-1 favourite.
Other potential hosts include current It Takes Two presenter Fleur East, former Strictly pro Janette Manrara, past winner Stacey Dooley and presenter Rylan Clark.
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