EXCLUSIVE: The Strictly winner shared that there will be ‘dynamic changes’.

Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly on BBC's Strictly
Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly left the BBC show in December (Image: BBC)

One question on every Strictly Come Dancing fan’s lips currently is who will replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman after their shock exit from the BBC dance competition. And now, professional dancer and winner of the latest series, Carlos Gu, thinks he knows exactly who it will be.

He and his friend and co-star Amy Dowden were in attendance at the TV Choice Awards in London on Monday evening. Express.co.uk caught up with them on the red carpet, and when asked about who they think might replace Tess and Claudia, Amy laughed as she exclusively told us: “Funnily enough, he dreamt about it last night!” Carlos then chimed in, explaining: “I mean no one can really replace them properly. I love Claud and Tess, absolutely love them. But I would love to actually see a male host and I did dream about it! I dreamt that it would be Ashley Banjo and Angela Scanlon.”
TV Choice Awards 2026 - Arrivals

Carlos and Amy attended the TV Choice awards (Image: Getty)

He added: “I think that they are the pair that we are going to have. I woke up and I was like ‘that actually is a good choice. There would be dynamic changes and who knows what else.”

The professional dancer then also opened up on who he would have loved to be paired with – but unfortunately, it can never become a reality.

“For me, it would be Princess Diana,” he said. “She would have been a dream to dance with and so fun to be around.”

Elsewhere on the red carpet fellow professional Jowita Przystał also shared her views on the changes. The 31-year-old shared: “When I joined the show, it was already Tess and Claudia, so to have someone else there will be different, but good, I think changes are necessary.

“I’m a big fan of Tess and Claudia, and I just wish them all the best for whatever the upcoming things are in their lives, and yeah, I will always be a number one fan.”

She added: “To be honest with you, I think it will be very stressful for whoever is going to take that job because they are big shoes to fill, but no matter who it’s going to be, we’re going to welcome them.”

Tess and Claudia left Strictly Come Dancing in December, with their final appearances on the Christmas special.

They initially announced their departure in October, deciding that it was the “right time” to step down together after over a decade as a duo. Tess had been on the show for 21 years, while Claudia had hosted for 11 years.