The Bolton TV presenter has been quizzed on his thoughts on who will replace Tess and Claudia Winkleman
Tess Daly and Vernon Kay hosting The One Show(Image: BBC)
Bolton-born Vernon Kay has again waded into the commentary surrounding who will replace his wife Tess Daly on Strictly Come Dancing as fans await news on who will be the new hosts of the beloved programme.
As fans of the BBC One dance programme know, the Stockport-born presenter and her co-host Claudia Winkleman announced in October last year that they would be stepping down from fronting the show at the end of the 2025 series, which at that time was at the mid-way point.
They issued a joint statement confirming their plans to depart the popular show together, saying it was the “right time” for them to bow out of the beloved programme, before hosting they were later seen hosting their last show live on December 20, before they appeared during the pre-recorded Christmas special on December 25.
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Since they announced their exit plans, many names have been thrown into the mix as to who could be the two new presenters, with the likes of Zoe Ball, Rylan Clark, Amanda Holden, Alan Carr, Alison Hammond and Holly Willoughby all among those being names among the potential new hosts.
While not among the names himself, Vernon has been quizzed on who he thinks could take over the role from his wife. Asked by Metro who he thought might make a good replacement for Tess, Vernon said The One Show presenter Alex Jones would be “perfect” for the role.
He told the publication: “Alex Jones should be on the floor. She is probably the funniest presenter I’ve worked with. With the formalities of The One Show, I don’t think she gives the audience the opportunity to see her funny and irreverent side. She’d be perfect because she is one of the best in a live TV scenario. Absolutely brilliant.#
Claudia and Tess were seen hosting Strictly for the last time in December (Image: BBC)
“If they pick anyone but Alex, that person has to, literally, be made of liquid gold. Alex, for me, is the right choice.” He added: “She’s done so many years on The One Show [and] deserves a shot at a big prime-time entertainment show. I don’t mean anything derogatory about The One Show – it’s great – but it is Alex’s time.”
On who he thinks could take over Claudia’s role in the Claudatorium, Vernon said: “Then upstairs, someone who knows the show better than most… Rylan.”
It comes after Vernon was quizzed on whether he – and Tess – will remain fans of the show as all eyes remain on who will be named the new hosts of Strictly. Speaking at to the Radio Times at the Radio Times Covers Party 2026, Vernon said that the couple have a holiday booked when the next series begins, but was sure to make it clear they’re still very much supporting the show even with Tess no longer on it.
On if he’ll still be tuning in, the BBC Radio 2 star confirmed: “Yeah, of course! It’s iconic, and it’s in our family’s DNA, it really is. So it holds a special place in both of our hearts and the kids as well.
“Phoebe and Amber [the couple’s daughters] absolutely love it, and we’re going to miss it. We’re going to miss it, but it’s still there. It’s not gone, it’s not vanished. We’ll still be watching, we’ll still be dialled in. We’ll still be in the Star Bar after the show and enjoying it because it is the best show on UK TV.”