Angela Scanlon Joins Four Frontrunners as Tess Daly Exit Opens Strictly Race
tess daly and Claudia Winkleman left Strictly Come Dancing at the end of the latest series. Angela Scanlon has now emerged as one of four frontrunners for the 2026 hosting job after a week of filmed auditions.
Scanlon, who finished sixth on the 2023 series with Carlos Gu, is said to have impressed bosses and become a surprise hit. The shortlist also includes Rylan Clark, Emma Willis and Zoe Ball, with Ball currently the strong favourite.
Filmed auditions for 2026
A source said the wanted the auditions to test chemistry between presenters and their ability to react to live comments and situations. That is the right filter for a show built around quick turnaround, live reaction and a pair at the top who can carry a primetime format without dragging it down.
Scanlon has a recent Strictly connection that makes her a cleaner fit than a cold outside hire. She now presents the Apprentice aftershow You’re Fired and has just been announced as Scott Mills’s replacement on this year’s Eurovision coverage, giving her another live television credit before any 2026 decision is made.
Zoe Ball and the shortlist
Zoe Ball has already fed the speculation herself. In January she said she would “love” to host the show, added, “I will still be watching, whoever hosts,” and later this month teased that she had something “glamorous” coming up while saying, “Obviously at the moment I can’t say anything about it.”
The other names in circulation matter because they set the range of the ’s options. Ball brings established broadcasting experience, Clark brings a strong presenting profile, and Emma Willis adds another familiar live-TV operator, while the latest report appears to rule out Bradley Walsh and Alison Hammond.
plans in due course
The told The Independent that plans for Strictly 2026 will be announced in due course and said preparations are underway. That keeps the field open for now, even as the search for Tess Daly and Winkleman’s replacements has already become the next major production decision around the franchise.
Gorka Marquez also announced this week that he had left Strictly after 10 years, and Karen Hauer, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk and Michelle Tsiakkas have also exited the professionals cast. With so many familiar names moving at once, the next host choice will shape the show’s on-air identity as much as the cast reshuffle behind it.
