Speculation has been rife that Zoe Ball is being lined up to take over Strictly Come Dancing as host following the exit of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman – and now she has hinted this may well be what will happen this year
Zoe Ball has hinted she will host Strictly Come Dancing in 2026(Image: BBC)
Zoe Ball has confirmed she would “love” to host Strictly Come Dancing following the shock exit of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman last year. The 55-year-old radio and TV host is a firm favourite to take over hosting duties on the long-running BBC dance show.
However, Zoe has also warned that whoever does end up taking the reigns from Tess and Claudia will have big shoes to fill. It is not as though Zoe is unfamiliar with Strictly, however, as she was a contestant herself during season three back in 2005 and hosted spin-off show Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two from 2011 until 2020 – and even stood in to host the main show in 2014.
Speculation has been rife that Zoe could take over as main host – thanks, in part, to her strong association with the hit BBC show. And after she recently quit her Saturday Radio 2 show, fans have noted that her weekends are now free to take over the TV show.
READ MORE: Man who struggled to lose weight sheds 7 stone and gets abs after spotting Instagram ad READ MORE: Strictly’s Shirley Ballas ‘grateful’ as she shares update after hospital visit
Opening up to The Sunday Times Style Magazine, she gushed: “Obviously there’s part of me that would love to do it. I love that show. I loved performing on it with Ian Waite, who is one of my best buddies. It’s so joyful.”
However, she did add: “It’s live telly, which is another thing that people don’t give the girls enough credit for. That show is a beast. Whoever gets to do it has a tough act to follow.’
Zoe’s teasing comments come hot on the heels of remarks from her father, broadcaster Johnny Ball, who suggested his daughter would be a shoe-in for the job. And he even suggested she would be even better at the role than outgoing stars Tess and Claudia.
He told the Express last month: “Nothing’s going to be decided until after Easter, but she’s in the mix, and people are coming to her, but it’s too early to say.” And he added: “I think she would love it, I think she would love the job because she took over from Claudia on It Takes Two, and if anything, she did a better job than Claudia.”
Johnny’s update comes after Zoe stoked speculation she will host Strictly when she shared a horoscope message on Instagram that promised big changes for Sagittarians in 2026. The post stated: “It will be a powerful year for you. There’s a lot of newness and freshness coming into your life. There’s a lot to feel and heal.”
The caption continued: “You’re clearing a lot of old karma this year, karma that is older than you in this life, karma that encompasses much larger cycles of who you are. You are being asked to find your way back home, to where you belong within yourself.”
And it concluded: “This year wants you to unlearn so many things and meet yourself in an organic and raw way, without any filters or glitters, just to experience yourself clean and clear.”
Last year, Strictly fans were blindsided when Tess and Claudia abruptly quit the scandal-hit show in the middle of the 2025 season. The duo suddenly announced that they planned to walk away from the show after decades of service, stating it was “the right time” to leave – after the show had been rocked by years of affair scandals and behind-the-scenes abuse claims.
After hosting their last ever show at Christmas last year, Tess took to social media to express her gratitude for being able to helm the show since it first launched in 2004 until the end of 2025. She wrote: “Strictly is a show that is made with love, where joy is the currency and the only agenda. That love is down to every single member of the brilliant team that makes it, because to none of them is it just a job. It is a gift, and it is truly treasured.”
Sir Bruce Forsyth was her original co-host when the show first began – and scandal risked engulfing the family friendly weekend show since the first season. It has long been claimed there is a “curse” on the show that destroys marriages and relationships.
Many contestants that have appeared on the show over the years have ditched their wives, husbands or partners to run off with professional dance stars. While in more recent years, darker stories of backstage attacks have leaked – with allegations and confirmation that some dance professionals physically attacked their celebrity co stars when tensions exploded behind the scenes of the squeaky clean image show.
Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .