STRICTLY Come Dancing is suffering a secret crisis amid a struggle to sign up TV’s biggest names.

The hit BBC show was once considered to be the biggest and best gig on TV but insiders have spilled to The Sun that despite months of talks with some of the biggest names on the box – they have been struggling to lock someone down.
The race to replace Tess and Claudia on Strictly Come Dancing has secretly stalledCredit: PA
 

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Bosses were shocked when Alan Carr and Amanda Holden both rejected the show after weeks of talksCredit: BBC
 

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Alison Hammond was also approached but said noCredit: Getty
An announcement on who could be replacing Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman has yet to have occurred with BBC execs having a harder time than initially thought to bag a top host.

Show bosses thought they’d have the pick of the bunch with The Sun telling how they had lined up a “golden 10” list of the ten biggest presenters who they wanted to front the show.

But despite various talks and screen-tests, many of the starry potential hosts have actually REJECTED the show – leaving the BBC scratching their heads.

We understand that a series of factors is understood to have been behind their decisions to say no with low pay and fears of a potential backlash being just some of the reasons behind it.

So far, three potential targets have explicitly ruled out the gig – Amanda Holden, Alan Carr and Alison Hammond.

Other names who have been approached are Alex Jones, Rylan Clark, Emma Willis and Bradley Walsh – but none are understood to have agreed to commit to the role at this stage, sparking even more fear.

A TV insider tells The Sun: “When the news first broke that Tess and Claudia were leaving, there was the initial sense that the best jobs in TV had come up for grabs, but as time has gone on, the feeling has shifted within the industry.

“A lot of big names have been approached and had chats, but have ended up turning it down for a multitude of reasons – even though saying no to this gig would have been unimaginable a few years ago.

“Amanda Holden had meetings with bosses, as did Alan Carr, as they are a great double act, but both of them felt it wasn’t quite the right move when their schedules are already so booked and busy.

“Amanda isn’t going to walk away from Heart Breakfast, so it would have left her with only one day off a week for a quarter of the year, and she isn’t going to give up Britain’s Got Talent either, as that’s a great paycheque and takes far less time to film.

“As for Alan, it would have meant cancelling a very lucrative tour, so it didn’t make business sense.

“Alison Hammond has also been in the mix, but recently said in an interview she was too busy to do it.

“Again, she has a multitude of other jobs, from This Morning to Great British Bake Off, and she would have to let one of them go. The feeling is, it’s not worth it because taking the Strictly job carries a lot of risks.”

Indeed the source claims there are several very telling reasons why a lot of TV’s biggest names are reluctant to take the reins at Strictly.

The first comes down to money.

Our insider reveals: “At the end of the day, the BBC don’t pay as well as other networks like ITV, who have commercial money behind them.

“It’s a big diary commitment going over three months, yet pays much less than a gig on the rival station.

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The Beeb had expected stars to jump at the gig – and have been left panicked by the mounting rejectionsCredit: Getty
 

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One name still in the frame is Alex Jones – although no final deal has been hashed outCredit: PA
“On top of that, streamers like Netflix and Amazon pay way more than ITV, and often those shows can shoot in a month or less.”

Another reason stars are getting cold feet? They feel like the gig is something of a poisoned chalice, we’re told.

“Tess and Claudia did the show for a long time, and they are big shoes to fill,” our insider continued.

“No matter how experienced the broadcaster is who gets the job, they will inevitably face a backlash, and lots of critics and armchair fans on social media will say they aren’t as good.

“It happens all the time, and they’ll have to have a really thick skin to weather that storm as viewers take a while to get used to change. In that sense, the gig might be prestigious but it’s something of a poisoned chalice.”

Adding to that feeling is the fact that the show has weathered so much scandal in recent years, and potentially that’s not over.

“Strictly used to be one of the most squeaky clean shows on TV but that’s no longer the case,” says our mole.

“Scandal sticks, and who knows what else will come out in the future.

“It’s a huge show with a huge cast, so there is always going to be drama, and that starts to impact everyone else involved in the show – even if they aren’t directly caught up in the negative headlines.

“Also the wider culture at the BBC plays a part. There is a bit of a cloud hanging over the corporation – look at what’s happened with Scott Mills.

“There is a general feeling that everyone is under a lot of scrutiny there now, and you can be axed in a heartbeat because the BBC can’t afford anyone to blemish their reputation any more.

“It’s created a bit of a fear culture.”

When contacted by The Sun, a rep for the show said: “Plans for Strictly Come Dancing 2026 will be confirmed in due course.”

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Bradley Walsh has also been approached for the jobCredit: Getty
 

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Emma and Rylan are still in the frame and are considered to be hot favourites – but they are yet to commitCredit: Shutterstock Editorial