🚨 UPDATE, May 2026: The BBC has officially confirmed the new Strictly Come Dancing presenting trio. Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe will front the show when it returns to BBC One this autumn for its 24th series, and for the first time in the show’s history, it will have three hosts. Zoe Ball, who had been the clear odds-on favourite throughout the betting market, was not named. Read on for the full pre-announcement odds breakdown and analysis.
The race to replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman as host of Strictly Come Dancing had captivated BBC watchers for months, with bookmakers reporting a surge of interest from punters keen to back their preferred candidates. Zoe Ball was installed as the 11/8 favourite, and Ladbrokes went so far as to suspend the market entirely, which is the kind of move that usually signals strong intelligence that a deal is close to being finalised behind the scenes.
As it turned out, the BBC went in a completely unexpected direction, appointing Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe as a three-person presenting team. It was the first time in Strictly history that the show had named three hosts, and it represented one of the biggest changes to the programme’s format in its two-decade run. OddsBoom TV expert Dave James looks back at how the odds market played out and which names the bookmakers had in the frame before the surprise announcement.
Why Did Strictly Need New Presenters?
After more than two decades as the beloved faces of Strictly Come Dancing, both Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman stepped down from the show following the 2025 series. Winkleman had long signalled a desire to move on from long-running commitments, while Daly’s future on the show had been the subject of growing speculation throughout that year. Their departures brought to a close one of the most iconic presenting partnerships in British television history, and left the BBC with the significant challenge of finding a new team capable of carrying the show into a new era.
The search for replacements quickly became one of the most talked-about entertainment betting markets of the year, drawing in casual fans and serious punters alike as the speculation built throughout the autumn and winter of 2025.
Next Strictly Come Dancing Presenter Odds (Pre-Announcement)
Odds sourced from Ladbrokes. Correct at time of original publication, December 2025.
| Presenter | Odds | Implied Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Zoe Ball | 11/8 | 42.1% |
| Fleur East | 2/1 | 33.3% |
| Janette Manrara | 3/1 | 25.0% |
| Rylan Clark | 5/1 | 16.7% |
| Amanda Holden | 6/1 | 14.3% |
| Angela Scanlon | 6/1 | 14.3% |
| Bradley Walsh | 7/1 | 12.5% |
| Alison Hammond | 8/1 | 11.1% |
| Rob Rinder | 9/1 | 10.0% |
| Alan Carr | 10/1 | 9.1% |
Zoe Ball at 11/8 Favourite (Did Not Get the Role)
Zoe Ball topped the market at 11/8, giving her an implied probability of 42.1%, and the decision by Ladbrokes to suspend betting led almost the entire industry to assume that Ball was the BBC’s chosen candidate. Her departure from the Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 earlier in 2025 looked like a deliberate clearing of the schedule, and with her deep roots at the Corporation, her extensive live TV experience and a presenting style that felt naturally suited to the energy of the ballroom, the logic behind her favouritism was hard to argue with.
As it turned out, the bookmakers got this one wrong, and it serves as a useful reminder that even a suspended market is not a guarantee of any particular outcome. Zoe Ball had also been heavily linked to the vacant slot covered in our Next Radio 2 Breakfast Show Presenter odds article, making her one of the most talked-about names in BBC broadcasting throughout the latter half of 2025.
Fleur East at 2/1 (Did Not Get the Role)
Fleur East was the second favourite at 2/1 and arguably the strongest insider candidate in the entire market, having joined Strictly as a contestant in 2022, reached the final, and then moved seamlessly into a co-hosting role on It Takes Two alongside Rylan Clark. Her familiarity with the show’s format, its judges and the pressures faced by celebrity contestants gave her a genuine edge over many of the other names in the market, and at 2/1 she looked like solid value for anyone who believed the BBC would promote from within the Strictly family.
Janette Manrara at 3/1 (Did Not Get the Role)
Janette Manrara has been a central part of the Strictly universe for many years, having taken over as sole host of It Takes Two in 2021 and grown into the role over several series. She brought warmth, genuine dancing knowledge and strong credibility with the show’s core fanbase, and at 3/1 she was firmly in the conversation as a candidate who would have been welcomed by viewers already familiar with her presenting style.
Rylan Clark at 5/1 (Did Not Get the Role)
Rylan Clark spent four years on It Takes Two and became one of its most popular presenters, building a reputation for quick humour and genuine enthusiasm for everything the show stands for. His 5/1 odds reflected both his well-established connection to the Strictly brand and a wider presenting career that has spanned both BBC and ITV over the past decade, yet despite being a strong fan favourite his name was absent from the final announcement.
Amanda Holden at 6/1 (Ruled Herself Out)
Amanda Holden attracted real attention at 6/1, but she ultimately ruled herself out before the BBC made their decision, citing her Britain’s Got Talent commitments as taking up too many weekends to make the Strictly role workable. She told reporters she was happy watching the show from her sofa and also publicly described the reported list of contenders as “boring”, which added a fair amount of colour to the pre-announcement period.
The Rest of the Market
Angela Scanlon was priced at 6/1 as a credible live presenter with strong BBC credentials, while Bradley Walsh at 7/1 would have been a popular choice with mainstream audiences, though his existing ITV commitments made a deal seem unlikely from the outset. Alison Hammond at 8/1 brings a natural warmth to everything she presents but is heavily tied to This Morning, and Rob Rinder at 9/1 was a Strictly alumni who impressed viewers during his 2016 run on the show. Alan Carr at 10/1 offered a quick-witted, fun personality that would have fitted comfortably into the ballroom atmosphere.
Who Actually Got the Job?
The BBC confirmed Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe as the new presenting trio for Strictly Come Dancing 2026, a decision that caught almost everyone off-guard given how strongly the market had pointed elsewhere. Willis brings years of mainstream presenting experience, most notably from The Voice, while Radebe steps up from his role as a professional dancer on the show to become the first pro to move into the main presenting team after eight years as part of the Strictly family. Widdicombe impressed producers during the 2024 Christmas special, where he danced the Charleston dressed as a penguin and received a ten from judge Anton Du Beke, and the new series is expected to air this autumn on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
For more TV and entertainment odds, read our Next James Bond Odds 2026 feature and the latest BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show Presenter Odds. You can also look back at how the Strictly Come Dancing 2025 Final unfolded before the presenter shake-up began.
All odds correct at time of original writing. Please gamble responsibly. For help with problem gambling visit GambleAware.org. 18+.
