Claudia Winkleman has been a TV icon for decades and has been a part of the Strictly Come Dancing family since 2004
Zara Woodcock Showbiz Reporter and Jane Lavender
10:14, 23 Oct 2025
Claudia and Tess have quit Strictly(Image: BBC)
Claudia Winkleman has left Strictly Come Dancing fans shocked as she and co-host Tess Daly announced they were quitting the show at the end of this series.
In an emotional joint statement the presenting duo 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 we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to 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.”
Claudia has been a beloved television personality since she first graced our screens in the early 1990s.
The presenter, renowned for her signature fringe and smokey eye look, currently fronts popular BBC programmes including The Traitors, Strictly Come Dancing and The Piano.
Claudia and her husband(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Sky Atlantic)
Away from the cameras, the mother-of-three prioritises time with her family.
She has been married to husband Kris Thykier for 25 years, and together they have three children.
Fame runs in the family, as Claudia isn’t the only household name, reports the Mirror.
Her husband Kris works as a film producer and has been involved in numerous blockbuster productions including Kick-Ass, The Woman in Gold and Riviera.
Claudia and her husband, parents to Jake, Matilda and Arthur, maintain a private family life, though the presenter has previously opened up about the sacrifices she would make for her children.
During an appearance on Radio 4’s Woman House, the television star revealed she had contacted BBC executives “in tears” over concerns that Strictly Come Dancing might coincide with her son’s university move.
“I phoned the boss of Strictly quite dramatically and said, through tears, ‘Sarah I love you. I don’t want to leave Strictly and Tess and I have agreed we will leave together when they’re done with us, but if the first show is September 13, I’m out and you’ll have to go with somebody else,” she admitted.
Lord Frederick Windsor and Sophie Winkleman arrives at Westminster Cathedral(Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)
“And there was a beat. And she said, ‘Quite dramatic. We don’t start that week.’ I was like, ‘Alright. I have to go and put up his posters.’ It’s not that I love him more than others love their kids, but this is something parents have to go through.”
Claudia grew up as an only child before gaining two half-siblings following her parents’ divorce and subsequent remarriages.
Her mum Eve’s second marriage brought her a younger half-brother named Oliver, whilst her dad’s second marriage gave her a half-sister, Sophie Winkleman.
Sophie has carved out her own acting career with notable roles in Peep Show and Two and a Half Men.
Claudia also boasts a Royal connection through her sister Sophie, who married Lord Frederick Windsor in 2009.
Lord Frederick is the son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.
Prince Michael of Kent was a first cousin to the late Queen Elizabeth II, as both shared King George V as their grandfather.
Following her marriage to Lord Frederick, Sophie became known as Lady Frederick Windsor.
The actress was amongst the guests at Lady Gabriella Windsor’s wedding in 2019, where Prince Harry was also in attendance.
She has also developed a close relationship with King Charles.
Following a car accident that left her injured, she publicly thanked the then Prince Charles for his support during her recovery, praising his kindness towards her and her family. Sophie revealed: “Prince Charles sensed correctly that everything would be chaos at home, so he asked his cook, instead of taking care of him, to take care of us.”
She added: “So, our lunches and dinners were cooked at Clarence House then delivered for weeks on end while I was in hospital and then still disabled at home.”