Claudia Winkleman reveals how she and Tess Daly made their pact to quit Strictly Come Dancing together after their surprise statement as she’s set to host her own BBC chat show

The hosting duo stunned fans of the BBC show on Thursday when they announced their departures from the ballroom in a surprise statement and video.

Claudia, 53, and Tess, 56, will exit Strictly at the end of the current series, with their final show airing on Christmas Day special.

They both had previously said how they made a pact to leave the show together, rather than either remaining and being paired with a new presenter.

Now, in a previous interview, Claudia shared exactly how they both came up with the idea of waltzing off the dance floor.

They hatched the plan to quit whilst they were at the top, enjoying a pizza together.

Speaking to The Mirror, Claudia refuted the suggestion fans wanted her and Tess on the show forever.

She said: ‘I don’t think anybody would want that.

‘I am sure people watching would go “Can that small orange creature just shuffle off?”

‘Tess and I will leave at the same time. We made that pact over pizza. I had pepperoni.’ 

Speaking to the camera as they announced their Strictly exits, Claudia began: ‘There have been some rumblings and we want you to hear this from us.’

Tess chimed in: ‘We have news, after 21 wonderfully joyful years on Strictly, we have decided that the time is right to step aside and pass over the baton.’

‘The very sparkly baton!’ Claudia laughed, before turning to her co-star and pal to add: ‘You’ve been here since the beginning.’

Tess replied, pointing to Claudia: ‘With Bruce, lovely Bruce [Forsyth], and that was over two decades ago but a lot of the time has been with you. 

‘It’s been a huge part of our lives since our children were literally babes in arms, and now they’re adults, and I think genuinely we have cherished every second.’

Claudia continued: ‘We have, we’re so lucky to have been part of this amazing show and we just want to thank the Strictly team, because Strictly is the people who make it.’ 

The duo penned under the video: ‘We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream. 

‘We were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time. We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series and we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to every single person who works on the show.  

‘They’re the most brilliant team and we’ll miss them every day. 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.’

Meanwhile, Daily Mail revealed how Claudia’s solo chat show for the BBC will be made by the company that produces The Graham Norton Show.

So Television, the production company founded by Norton and business partner Graham Stuart, will be making Winkleman’s series, which telly chiefs believe could make her the new Terry Wogan. 

The BBC are confident that the new, yet-to-be named Winkleman show can go on to enjoy huge ratings success, with the idea being it is broadcast when The Graham Norton Show is off air.

Traitors host Winkleman was widely praised for her performance, when she stood in for Norton earlier this year, when he was on a break from BBC work.