Zoe Ball loses out on Strictly presenting role

Tom McArdleTue, May 12, 2026 at 11:28 AM UTC

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Zoe Ball will not be presenting the next series of Strictly Come Dancing - BBC/PA

Zoe Ball has revealed that she lost out on presenting Strictly Come Dancing.

The former host of the Strictly spin-off show It Takes Two said she had “worked through the seven stages of grief” after being told by the show’s bosses that she would not take over from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.

Ball, 55, was thought to be one of the front-runners to present the BBC dancing contest following Daly and Winkleman’s surprise exit last year.

Zoe Ball competed on the show with Ian Waite in 2005 - BBC/GMK

Discussing the potential role on her Dig It podcast, she said: “I didn’t get it but it’s OK. But I tell you what, if it’s who I think got it, we’re in safe hands and our new hosts are going to be fabulous.”

Emma Willis is rumoured to have beaten Ball to become the dance show’s new host, although the BBC has yet to confirm.

A number of names – including Rylan Clark, Alex Jones, Bradley Walsh and Rob Rinder – have all been linked with the role.

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Ball’s experience hosting the spin-off show and her history of competing herself had seen her tipped to take over Winkleman. She said the rejection had seen her “work through the seven stages of grief and rejection”.

She continued: “But I had 10 years on It Takes Two of having so much fun. And I’m a massive fan, so I will now be able to wear my PJs.”

“I won’t have to go to Turkey for the facelift which I’d bought the flights [for],” she joked. “So you know, I’m saving myself some money, and I will be taking all my sequin garments from the cupboards to the local charity shop.”

She added that she was “thrilled” for the selected presenters but did not divulge any more information.

“I don’t want to be the one to say the wrong thing, but I was so chuffed to even be in the mix,” Ball added. “There were some pretty amazing people who didn’t even make it into the mix.”

Holly Willoughby, Alan Carr, Amanda Holden and Alison Hammond, were all previously thought to be in the running but have since ruled themselves out.

Comedian Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe, a professional dancer, are reportedly still in the frame.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”