host

BBC bosses have reportedly selected their top ten options for replacing Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman as Strictly Come Dancing hosts, and they are set to undergo ‘chemistry tests’

The BBC is ramping up its search for the next faces of Strictly Come Dancing, with insiders revealing that a shortlist of ten high-profile presenters is set to be put through intense on-screen chemistry tests as the corporation prepares for a new era of the hit show.

Now that Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman are stepping down from the series after more than two decades at the helm, bosses are said to be leaving nothing to chance.

According to insider sources, a “Golden Ten” have been assembled to take part in a secret studio session next month where presenters will reportedly be paired up in various combinations to see who has the strongest rapport on camera.

A source told The Sun: “Replacing Claudia and Tess is a mammoth task, but the BBC have whittled down the talent to ten people. They will go to a studio and be put into different pairs to see who works together best.”

Some of the frontrunners are Bradley Walsh, The One Show’s Alex Jones and British comedian Alan Carr, who is understood to be the current favourite among senior BBC figures.

Rylan Clark, Rob Rinder, Zoe Ball, Holly Willoughby, Amanda Holden, Alison Hammond and Angela Scanlon are also taking part. The source added: “It could be two women or two men paired, or a mix. They will ultimately choose whoever has the best chemistry in each partnership.”

Some contenders already have tried and tested on-screen dynamics. Rylan and Rob currently front a BBC travel series together, while Alan and Amanda host a home renovation show.

Meanwhile, Zoe Ball is seen as a safe pair of hands after previously presenting the Strictly spin-off It Takes Two. Alan’s growing appeal at the BBC has reportedly pushed him into first place among the talent being considered.

Given he is fresh off winning the Celebrity Traitors and has just recently landed a new quiz show, insiders believe he could bring a whole new audience to the ballroom.

Meanwhile, Strictly fans are bracing themselves for a sad goodbye to Tess and Claudia. The pair announced their decision to leave the show in October, explaining that it felt like “the right time” to step away after years at the helm.

Tess, who has presented Strictly since its launch in 2004, and Claudia, who joined in 2014, insisted they were always determined to leave together, calling their partnership “an absolute dream”.

The duo hosted Strictly for their penultimate episode tonight, and have already filmed their final Christmas special. Those at the recording studio said emotions were running high, with one insider revealing: “Tess was wiping away tears. The last Strictly episode next week is going to be emotional.”

The presenters were recently honoured with a touching message from the widow of the late Sir Bruce Forsyth, Wilnelia Forsyth, who praised both women for the “laughter, the elegance and the heart” they brought to the show.

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BBC Question Time host Fiona Bruce had some important news to share during tonight’s show – Fiona paused a debate surrounding the lifting of the two-child benefit cap to make the announcement

Question Time host Fiona Bruce made a huge announcement about the BBC show’s future during tonight’s episode.

Thursday evening’s panel consisted of Stephen Flynn, Anas Sarwar, Russell Findlay, Angela Haggerty and Lord Malcolm Offord, who has defected to Reform. The current affairs debate was coming from Paisley in Scotland.

After discussing the two child benefit cap Fiona said: “It’s been quite hard work this programme really to get a word in edgeways with you guys but we’re going to try aren’t we.” She then shared some important news about the programme’s future.

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She said: “Before we get to the next question, we want to say this is our last show of 2025. We’re back on January 22 in Macclesfield. So if you live in or around Macclesfield and you would like to come and be part of the audience, apply (on) our website, and hopefully we will see you there on the 22nd of January.”

After the brief announcement the panel continued answering questions from audience members. James Sinclair put a question to the panel about the percentage of children in schools who don’t speak English as a first language.

When does the show take breaks throughout the year and why?

This break is just one of the usual breaks which the show takes as they work around Parliament’s schedule. Since the MPs will not be sitting over the festive season the show takes the opportunity to go off air.

They also break for a couple of weeks at Easter, the dates vary depending on when the holiday falls. There is a further and longer break of around 6 weeks during Parliament’s summer recess.

BBC Question Time returns on January 22 in Macclesfield and then on January 29 in King’s Lynn.

Coming off of the massive box office success of “Wicked: For Good,” Cynthia Erivo is also making history.

Erivo was nominated for a Golden Globe for lead actress in a musical or comedy on Monday morning, marking her second nod. She received her first nomination just a year ago for “Wicked.”

With the two nominations, Erivo became the first Black woman to be recognized twice in the female actor in a musical or comedy category. The award has been given out for several decades since the Golden Globes split the acting categories by genre in 1951.

A handful of Black women have had repeat nominations in the category‘s drama counterpart, including Halle Berry and Viola Davis.

Erivo is nominated alongside Rose Byrne (“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”), Kate Hudson (“Song Sung Blue”), Chase Infiniti (“One Battle After Another”), Amanda Seyfried (“The Testament of Ann Lee”) and Emma Stone (“Bugonia”).

The performer has a host of nods, awards and accolades under her belt, including Daytime Emmy, Grammy and Tony wins. She’s an Oscar away from coveted “EGOT” status and is expected to earn her fourth Academy Award nomination later this year for “Wicked: For Good.”

“Wicked: For Good” received five nominations, including one for Erivo’s co-star Ariana Grande, who is in the running in the supporting category.

Two original songs written for the film — “No Place Like Home” and “The Girl in the Bubble” — are nominated, and the film is up for the recently created cinematic and box office achievement category, but it is snubbed for best musical or comedy. Director Jon M. Chu was also left out in the directing category.

The Golden Globe Awards return to the Beverly Hilton on Jan. 11. The ceremony starts at 5 p.m. PT. Viewers can watch live on CBS or stream live on Paramount+.

Along with Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, Melissa McCarthy is one of those performers who’s been on “Saturday Night Live” so many times, as a host or making extremely memorable guest appearances, that it’s easy to forget she wasn’t an actual cast member.

McCarthy sure could have been, as she demonstrated again in her sixth time as host, where she showed off her incredible commitment to comedic bits. She has a knack for heightening moments and introducing characters that range from sad, weird loners to shifty and overconfident schemers. Even when McCarthy is simply portraying a heightened version of herself, as in this episode’s monologue, she’s apt to fling herself over a piano bench or introduce a new talent, namely “mouth horn” (more on that in a bit).

As reliable a comic force as McCarthy can be, she can still be held back by weak writing, as has happened a few times in past appearances. In this episode, she benefited from coming off a strong cold open featuring Colin Jost as aggressive Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and a funny monologue to launch into a trio of sketches that were as great as any she’s done on the show before, despite a few instances of her microphone sounding muffled.

She played a clingy woman who latches on to a supermarket worker (Jeremy Culhane) handing out cheese samples, a seemingly friendly elderly neighbor who goes to extremes to show her friendship to a 12-year-old boy, and a terrible UPS employee caught misbehaving on someone’s doorbell camera.

Things got a little bumpier after “Weekend Update” with sketches that pushed McCarthy back to supporting roles, like one that featured Andrew Dismukes as an overly sensitive Sunday supper host and one about moms who play truth or dare for the first time (it gets sexual very quickly). These were fine, but didn’t take advantage of McCarthy’s skills as much and felt like they could have been done any other week.

Later on, things improved when McCarthy played the mayor of Cousin Planet in a very silly music video from Jane Wickline and Veronika Slowikowska, and one half of a New York City couple (with Bowen Yang) showing off their kitschy holiday decorations for Spectrum News NY1.

McCarthy is a comedic national treasure and when she’s allowed to fire on all cylinders on “SNL,” as she was in a few of the night’s sketches, there’s nothing like it.

Musical guest Dijon performed “HIGHER!” and “Baby!/Another Baby!” Before the goodbyes, a title card honored Craig Kellem, a producer on the first season of “Saturday Night Live” who died this week.

This week’s cold open brought back Jost as Hegseth in a White House press conference. Jost played him as a petulant, energy drink-chugging bully, who starts by asking the assembled reporters, “Where are the fatties?” Referencing the U.S. attacks on sea vessels in Venezuela, he told the reporters, “Pretend I’m a random fishing boat and fire away.” Matt Gaetz (Sarah Sherman) was among the reporters, showing up to ask if the U.S. was intercepting all illegal things being transported across borders, or just drugs. Hegseth made pop culture references in his responses, including invoking “6-7” and singing some of the famous “Animaniacs” nations of the world song. A sleepy President Trump (James Austin Johnson) seated near Hegseth woke up from a sexy dream about New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to remind us that the “fog of war” only comes up when people are trying to hide war crimes before napping again. “We gotta get him to another MRI before he wakes up,” Hegseth said.

In her monologue, McCarthy kicked off Christmas season on “SNL” by showing off her talent for “mouth horn,” a kind of humming/blowing/beatboxing of songs like “Carol of the Bells.” She got a lot of snow dumped on her and fought with cast member Marcello Hernández as he tried to move a piano across the stage. Dejected, McCarthy was joined by Kenan Thompson, whom she called “Santa Kenan” before cast members came on stage to close it out with “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” with McCarthy mouth horning the song.

Best sketch of the night: Firing of the worst UPS employee is USPS’s gain

McCarthy plays Donna, a UPS delivery driver who has been hurling packages on a customer’s porch, opening up boxes and even squatting to relieve herself until it’s dark, all revealed in a series of security videos. Donna’s denials, her attempts to scoot out of the meeting with UPS managers (Mikey Day and Ashley Padilla), her fake fainting and her tenacity in chewing on paper while Day tries to pull it from her mouth were all excellent. So much so that Day, who has worked with McCarthy since her days at The Groundlings, starts to break character and hold back laughs, something extremely rare for him.

Also good: Cousins don’t even exist in July

You could make a strong argument that the video about the vengeful elderly woman and the supermarket sketches were better showcases for McCarthy, but there’s something catchy and true about this low-fi video that considers where cousins go when you don’t see them during the holidays. It turns out they live on Cousin Planet where family secrets are revealed and every conversation is catching up. The first rule is that cousins shouldn’t hook up, but the second rule is that the first rule is flexible. This video is funny, weird and a great showcase for featured players Wickline and Slowikowska.

‘Weekend Update’ winner: That’s it, drunk raccoon, you’re cut off

Ben Sherman was entertaining as Lance, a redhead who was badly sunburned on vacation (he even brought a ginger boys’ choir), but it was tough to top Sarah Sherman’s all-over-the-desk portrayal of the drunk racoon that went viral after being found passed out in a Virginia liquor store. Sherman asked “Update” co-presenter Jost if they’d hooked up the night before and kept propositioning him (“I’ll ride your head like a Davy Crockett hat”) while also abusing him (“Quiet, piggy!”). The guest bit benefited from a nice use of cuts to black and white to show Sherman as a raccoon caught on a Ring camera.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Mexico City is finalizing preparations for the 2026 World Cup, with Estadio Azteca set to become the first venue to host matches during three World Cup tournaments. It was previously the scene of Pelé’s triumph in 1970 and Diego Maradona’s Cup win in 1986.

Neither of the other two Mexican venues existed when Mexico hosted the tournament before: The Estadio Akron in Guadalajara was founded in 2010 as the home of Liga MX team Chivas de Guadalajara, and the Estadio BBVA was inaugurated in 2015 as the home of the Liga MX team Rayados del Monterrey.

Diego Maradona holds up the World Cup trophy after Argentina beat West Germany in the World Cup final at Estadio Azteca on June 29, 1986.

(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Mexico will face South Africa during the first match of the 2026 World Cup at Estadio Azteca, which has undergone about $80 million in renovations.

“The stadium is coming along nicely. We are working hard every day to be ready for the inauguration in March. Everything is going smoothly,” said Estefanía Padilla, head of marketing and operations for the Mexico City World Cup headquarters.

Organizers are preparing to open the renovated stadium on March 28 when Mexico will face Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in a friendly match that will mark the end of the work that began in the middle of last year. The organizers also had to resolve a dispute over luxury boxes. After 18 months of litigation, the luxury box owners won the right to use them during the World Cup without paying additional fees. They demanded that an agreement dating to the stadium’s construction six decades ago, which grants them unlimited access to their seats for 99 years, be honored.

Mexico City expects to receive around 5.5 million tourists, so improvements also have been made to infrastructure, airports and transportation. Beyond that, Padilla said, the World Cup will be an opportunity to show the world the cultural richness of Mexico’s capital. In addition to the stadium, the city has developed three pillars to attract fans: culture, entertainment and experiences, with more than 36 activities planned.

“Mexico City is the soul of the World Cup,” Padilla said. “Hopefully, everyone will be able to visit. Mexico is very famous internationally for its culture and gastronomy.”

In the cultural sphere, more than 12 museums will participate in World Cup events, including the Museo Franz Mayer. There also will be an exhibition by Annie Leibovitz at the National Museum of Anthropology.

The fan festival will be set up in the Zócalo, the main public square in the historic center of Mexico City, and will feature the largest video screen among all the World Cup venues. It is expected to attract 60,000 spectators per day, more than 100,000 during Mexico’s matches and a total of about 2.5 million during the tournament.

In terms of entertainment, concerts are being planned at the National Auditorium featuring international artists and a fashion show highlighting clothing made in Mexico.

A young Mexican soccer fan blows a horn while watching a 2014 World Cup match on big screens in Mexico City.

(Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press)

However, security concerns remain ever present in the capital, as organized crime violence has continued to plague the country in recent months, with a new wave of violence linked to drug trafficking that has affected the popularity of President Claudia Sheinbaum.

“We have developed a comprehensive plan that coordinates all levels of government. Our goal is to ensure that this event takes place in a safe environment for everyone,” said Gabriela Cuevas, federal coordinator for the World Cup, during a recent presentation alongside Sheinbaum.

Sheinbaum joined President Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during the World Cup draw ceremony Friday at the Kennedy Center in Washington.

Guadalajara is the ‘most Mexican venue,’ organizers say

Pelé holds a ball before Brazil’s World Cup practice in Guadalajara, Mexico, on June 5, 1970.

(GB / Associated Press)

Guadalajara will host Mexico’s second match, and it will be the first time the national team played there in a World Cup. The city’s Estadio Jalisco did previously host one of Brazil’s great teams led by Pelé in 1970.

Preparation of a newer stadium, Estadio Akron, for this World Cup began five years ago and is 85% complete. According to the organizers, the venue, which will be called Estadio Guadalajara during the tournament, is ready to host two playoff tournament games in March to determine the last World Cup spots, and then actual World Cup matches in June.

So far only minor adjustments have been made, mainly to bring the pitch up to FIFA standards.

Ainara Zatarain, director of stadium operations, said the city seeks to project itself as “the most Mexican,” with distinctive gastronomic and cultural offerings. She also highlighted the FIFA fan festival that will be set up in the city center. The state of Jalisco expects to attract 3 million tourists during the tournament, which is why 40 new hotels have been built.

Zatarain recalled that Estadio Akron was designed in the early 2000s specifically for a World Cup, completing the vision of the late Chivas owner Jorge Vergara.

“After 15 years we are fulfilling Jorge Vergara’s dream, which was to have a World Cup in the Guadalajara Stadium. For us, the changes have been minimal, and it has been more because, of course, several things have been updated over the years, such as the field that we now have in our stadium,” Zatarain said in Washington prior to the World Cup draw.

Guadalajara seeks to stand out for its cuisine, tequila, mariachis and cultural traditions.

“We say that we are the most Mexican city or the most Mexican venue,” Zatarain said. “We have an impressive gastronomic variety, and we invite you to try all the traditions and culture that we have in our state and in our city. Guadalajara is something unique.”

However, the city also faces problems with violence and transportation difficulties around the stadium.

Local authorities estimate that the World Cup will generate $1 billion for Jalisco.

Monterrey focuses on completing improvements

Monterrey, Mexico’s third host city, made significant investments in infrastructure, the airport and Estadio BBVA for the World Cup. The investments include more than $6 million in stadium renovations and $416 million in airport renovations as well as upgrades to public transportation, urban image projects and security.

Monterrey will have the newest stadium of the three Mexican venues and also will host playoff tournament matches to be played from March 23 to 31.

“The most important challenge is mobility, without a doubt … and security,” said Francisco Rodríguez, head of television and commercial rights for the Monterrey venue.

“The challenge is to coordinate mobility, provide good security and keep the city clean.”

This article first appeared in Spanish via L.A. Times en Español.

Celebrity MasterChef contestant apologised to judge John Torode after a major blunder on the show

Celebrity MasterChef’s John Torode threw his face in his hands as he was forced to intervene after Ashley Cain made a massive error.

During Thursday’s (December 4) episode of the BBC favourite, Ashley was amongst the celebrities who secured their spot in the semi-final stage of the contest.

In the third and concluding heat of the competition, the reality TV personality went head-to-head with rugby legend Alun Wyn Jones, vocalist Alfie Boe, and comedian Noreen Khan as they fought for a coveted place in the finale.

For the first time, the famous faces had to collaborate in pairs, with judges Grace Dent and John Torode providing each partnership with a recipe. They were required to produce two matching portions of the designated dish, though only one member of each pair could access their recipe.

Initially, everything appeared to be progressing brilliantly as Ashley was teamed up with Alun, and together they managed to impress the judges with his remarkable palate and teamwork skills, reports Wales Online.

Nevertheless, matters took a dramatic downturn for Ashley during the individual challenge when he committed a significant mistake whilst preparing a two-course meal for guest judges and former series graduates Craig Doyle, Amy Walsh and Kadeena Cox.

For his main course, he opted to prepare teriyaki salmon accompanied by noodles and pak choi. As the clock ticked down, Grace observed: “Ashley you’ve got four minutes now.”

Ashley dashed to the oven only to find he’d placed his fish in the wrong appliance that wasn’t switched on, leaving it completely raw.

A shocked John hurried over and questioned: “You put it in the wrong one?” Ashley confessed: “I didn’t know there was two.”

John was forced to intervene as he declared: “OK, I’ll tell you what we are going to have to do. Get the wok on and we’re going to pan-fry it quickly Ashley.”

Racing around the kitchen, he urged: “OK, quickly, quickly. We’ve got to do this. This is going to take you about four minutes. You’re going to be about to minutes over.”

The chaos proved too much for John as he buried his face in his hands whilst co-host Grace intervened and demanded: “What have you done to John?”

A crushed Ashley turned to the judge and apologised: “I’m so sorry John.” Trying to rally Ashley’s spirits, John called out: “Come on Ashley, you’ve done harder things.”

Despite the blunder, Ashley succeeded in completing his dish within the time limit and nervously presented his creation to the judges. The celebrity’s determination appeared to work in his favour as he secured his place in the final.

You can catch up on Celebrity MasterChef on BBC iPlayer

Germany will host the 2029 Women’s European Championship, Uefa has announced.

The governing body’s president Aleksander Ceferin said Germany had pipped Poland and a joint-bid from Denmark and Sweden.

Ceferin, who was speaking at a meeting of Uefa’s executive committee in Nyon, Switzerland, said it was “heartbreaking” that any of the three bids should lose, before he pulled Germany’s name out of the envelope.

The summer tournament will feature 16 national teams and be played across eight venues in Cologne, Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hanover, Leipzig, Munich and Wolfsburg.

Portugal and Italy also submitted dossiers to host the tournament but withdrew to focus on bids to co-host the men’s Euro 2032 and 2030 men’s World Cup.

Germany received 15 votes from Uefa committee members with Denmark and Sweden receiving two and Poland getting none.

The 2029 finals will mark the third time that eight-time winners Germany have hosted the event.

They hosted it in 2001 and as West Germany in 1989, winning on both occasions.

“It was a long journey. We have so many people working at DFB [German football association] to get this tournament,” said the governing body’s president Bernd Neuendorf.

“Thanks to all who supported us, we felt this support throughout the campaign.”

Switzerland hosted Euro 2025, with England beating Spain on penalties in the final following a tense 1-1 draw to retain their trophy.

England are therefore targeting a hat-trick of Euros titles in 2029, with Germany the only team to have ever triumphed at more than two consecutive editions of the tournament – reeling off six in a row from 1995 to 2013.

SIMON Cowell has shaded his former American Idol co-star Ryan Seacrest in a new interview with The New York Times.

The America’s Got Talent judge and media mogul, 66, had an unexpected reaction when asked about his onetime colleague, 50, during a candid talk on The Daily podcast with journalist Lulu Garcia Navarro.

When the reporter admitted she’s “mystified” by Ryan‘s success and asked Simon to explain it, he laughed.

“I can’t really answer that one if I’m being honest with you. He does work hard,” he responded.

“A lot of people work hard,” Lulu said.

“I don’t know, actually. He was very, very ambitious. And look, I don’t follow his career if I’m being honest with you,” Simon said, despite Ryan’s success on American Idol, Wheel of Fortune, Live with Kelly and Ryan and radio shows.

“So I don’t know what he’s done or doing. We rarely talk now.

“I always knew with Ryan, he was very steely about his career, wanting to be famous.

“I mean this massive, massive desire about being very famous.”

CLASHING ON CAMERA

Simon worked alongside Ryan from American Idol’s first season in 2002 until his departure in 2010.

They butt heads on camera, and one scene particularly shocked viewers when it aired on Season 6 in 2007.

When a contestant complained about having to wear high heels and dresses on the show, Ryan asked Simon for any advice he could offer.

“You should know, Ryan,” Simon responded.

“Stay out of my closet,” Ryan warned Simon.

“Well, come out,” Simon quipped, seemingly joking about Ryan’s sexuality. (Ryan has always dated women, and denied gay rumors in his early days of fame.)

According to a report at the time, the jab was scripted and planned ahead of time.

Ryan denied a long-standing feud with Simon in 2017, insisting he “misses” working with him.

Meeting to build on earlier agreements to end fighting in eastern DRC, which has persisted throughout talks.

United States President Donald Trump will host the leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Thursday, the White House has announced.

Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told reporters that DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwanda President Paul Kagame will sign a “historic peace and economic agreement that [Trump] brokered”.

The event comes after the foreign ministers of the two African nations signed a preliminary peace agreement and economic pact at a White House event in June. After months of talks, they met in Qatar in November and signed a framework with the ultimate goal of putting an end to years of fighting.

M23 rebels have fought the DRC government in North Kivu province for over a decade, in a conflict with roots in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The rebels, among more than 100 groups operating in eastern DRC, are made up primarily of ethnic Tutsi, who were targeted by the Hutu in Rwanda.

The group resurged in 2021 with the alleged support of Rwanda. Kigali has denied working directly with the M23, instead saying Rwandan forces have acted in self-defence against the DRC’s military and ethnic Hutu fighters in the porous border region.

Thousands of people, many of them civilians, have been killed in the violence, which surged during an offensive at the beginning of this year that saw the M23 seize two of the DRC’s largest cities.

Fighting has continued sporadically as the truce talks have progressed.

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said that at least 319 civilians were killed in North Kivu province by “M23 fighters, aided by members of the Rwanda Defence Force” in July, shortly after the initial White House deal.

Details of a final agreement were not immediately clear.

In Doha, Qatar, the two sides signed two of eight implementation protocols, including a provision on ceasefire monitoring and another on prisoner exchange.

Other protocols related to a timeline, details of humanitarian aid delivery, and the return of displaced people had yet to be agreed on.

Other unresolved issues at the time included restoring state authority, implementing economic reforms, reintegration of armed groups into the government, and the elimination of foreign groups.

A DRC presidential spokesperson told the Associated Press news agency in November that any agreement must assure the “territorial integrity” of the country.

Despite the lingering questions, Trump has repeatedly claimed the conflict as one of several he has helped end since taking office in January.

Bradley Walsh got tongues wagging when he rocked up at the Strictly Come Dancing studio after hosts, Tess Daly and Claudia Winkelman sensationally announced they’re quitting the show

Bradley Walsh has added fuel to rumours he’ll host Strictly after he was seen backstage with the show’s crew over the weekend. The presenter, 65, is odds-on favourite to replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman as hosts of Strictly when they step down at the end of the current series.

Gladiators host, Bradley, is reportedly in final talks to host the primetime programme after dynamic duo, Tess and Claudia, sensationally announced they were quitting in October.

Bradley headed to the BBC studio during a break in filming ITV’s The Chase, where he posed for a selfie with the crew from the dance show. Both The Chase and Strictly are filmed at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire.

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Head dressmaker Theresa Hewlett shared a photograph with star on X, formerly Twitter, with a smile a mile wide, posing alongside her colleagues ahead of Saturday’s live show.

She captioned the post: “The Chase is filmed next door and he popped in to say hi. What a lovely man Bradley Walsh is!”

Meanwhile a source told The Sun: “Bradley’s appearance in the studio has certainly set tongues wagging. Bosses are keen for Bradley to take over. He is a real pro and has brilliant experience hosting live shows.

“Producers need a safe pair of hands to steady the ship amid so much damage. Of course, he’d have a female alongside him as part of a duo.

And that female, is reported to be The One Show’s Alex Jones, who took part in Strictly in 2011. A source told the publication: “Alex and Bradley are both the favourites to take over from Tess and Claudia… they have been in the BBC’s sights for some time.”

“Alex is a massive fan of Strictly, too, so this would be the dream gig for her.”

The insider clarified that “nothing is set in stone yet”, but said discussions involving the pair had been “moving in a really positive direction” so far.

Tess and Claudia stunned Strictly fans when they posted a joint video in October, announcing they were calling it quits.

Addressing viewers, they said: “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 just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and 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.”

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BBC Breakfast announced the death of acclaimed playwright Tom Stoppard at age 88, sharing tributes from King Charles and Queen Camilla

BBC Breakfast was paused as today’s presenter delivered devastating news of a death just minutes into the programme.

During Sunday’s (November 30) episode of the beloved breakfast show, hosts Rachel Burden and Ben Boulos were back on our screens delivering the day’s top headlines from Britain and around the world.

But mere moments into the broadcast, Rachel broke the news of Tom Stoppard‘s passing as she disclosed that the Royal Family were amongst the first to honour his memory.

The cherished playwright, who scooped an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Shakespeare In Love, was 88-years-old when he passed away.

Addressing audiences at home, Rachel announced: “The King and Queen have led tributes to the playwright Tom Stoppard, who has died at the age 88.”, reports the Express.

“They have described him as a ‘dear friend who wore his genius lightly’. Among the awards was an Oscar for the screenplay for the film Shakespeare in Love.”

The programme then switched to a dedicated tribute segment for the legend as entertainment correspondent Guy Lambert reflected on Tom’s extraordinary career.

Returning to the studio, Rachel noted: “Tributes have been pouring in to celebrate the life of Sir Tom Stoppard.”

Just before sharing the King and Queen’s complete statement, the television host remarked: “King Charles and Queen Camilla called him a dear friend.”

United Agents released a statement at the time, expressing: “We are deeply saddened to announce that our beloved client and friend, Tom Stoppard, has died peacefully at home in Dorset, surrounded by his family.

“He will be remembered for his works, for their brilliance and humanity, and for his wit, his irreverence, his generosity of spirit and his profound love of the English language. It was an honour to work with Tom and to know him.”

King Charles paid tribute, stating: “My wife and I are deeply saddened to learn of the death of one of our greatest writers, Sir Tom Stoppard. A dear friend who wore his genius lightly, he could, and did, turn his pen to any subject, challenging, moving and inspiring his audiences, borne from his own personal history.

“We send our most heartfelt sympathy to his beloved family. Let us all take comfort in his immortal line: ‘Look on every exit as being an entrance somewhere else’.”

Sir Tom’s illustrious career in entertainment spanned over six decades, during which he bagged numerous Tony and Olivier awards, as well as the Golden Globe and Academy Award alongside Marc Norman for their 1998 screenplay Shakespeare In Love – featuring fellow Oscar-winner Gwyneth Paltrow.

BBC Breakfast is broadcast daily from 6am on BBC One and iPlayer.

EXCLUSIVE – Freddie Flintoff is back this Sunday with a new episode of Bullseye

Bullseye host Freddie Flintoff has a hilarious one-word response as a contestant reveals their unusual talent on Sunday’s episode.

The revamped ITV gameshow is back for another fun episode on Sunday night as three more pairs made up of keen darts player and quizzing partners compete against one another to win points and prizes.

In an exclusive clip obtained by the Mirror of this Sunday’s episode, it sees Freddie, 47, baffled over a contestant’s unique party trick.

In the video, Freddie speaks to contestants Graham and Becky to which the latter reveals she’s a paediatric nurse.

Freddie then says: “I hear you’ve got a anatomy party trick, haven’t you?” to which Becky replies: “Yes I do! I can name a part of the body for every letter of the alphabet!”

Issuing a one-word response, a baffled Freddie says: “Why?” to which Becky responds: “I don’t know!” However, making a joke, Freddie then says: “But Y, Y, I’ve just thrown one at you! Can you do then A to J?”

Becky then starts reciting body parts to the alphabet letters before hilariously asking: “What’s after E, F?!” to which she then misses out the letter G.

This prompts Freddie to joke: “So you know your anatomy but not your alphabet?” to which Becky responds: “Yeah, that’s it!”

Firing another joke, Freddie says: “I was going to say, do you know your a**e from your elbow but I’m not quite sure!”

It comes as Bullseye has returned for a new series and a 2025 Christmas special following last year’s one-off Bullseye festive special, which drew in audiences of over 8.6 million.

The original Bullseye aired from 1982 until 1995 and was hosted by the late Jim Bowen.

Meanwhile, Freddie will not be using his real name as the former England cricketer hosts the ITV quiz show.

The 47-year-old has always gone by Freddie but is actually named Andrew.

Cricket icon Flintoff has always been known as Freddie ever since his school days. He was given the nickname because his surname was similar to that of cartoon character Fred Flintstone.

Bullseye airs Sundays at 8pm on ITV1.