Claudia Winkleman has finally explained why she and Tess Daly decided to leave Strictly Come Dancing, dismissing speculation that the show's scandals influenced their departure. The 54-year-old presenter, who co-hosted the BBC programme for two decades, said the decision was made about a year before they announced it, and was driven by a desire to leave on a high note.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Winkleman stated: 'Absolutely not, it is a genuinely beautiful show to be part of. Almost every single person who’s taken part is happy they did. So no, it wasn’t that. The show deserves new. We wanted to leave when we were on an absolute high.'
The departure came after a turbulent period for the show, including allegations from Amanda Abbington against professional dancer Giovanni Pernice, and claims of mistreatment by Zara McDermott against Graziano Di Prima. However, Winkleman insisted these events were not the reason for their exit.
Winkleman also revealed the emotional difficulty of her final moments on the show. 'We did our last piece to camera, then I went to my husband and sobbed. Really, really cried. It was 20 years of my life. I know it was the right time,' she said.
Despite leaving, Winkleman remains a fan and plans to watch the new series with Daly. 'Tess and I are spending the weekend together and watching the first one. It’s diarised,' she added. Meanwhile, she is set to host her own talk show, produced by So Television, premiering on March 13.
