🚨 STRICTLY SHOCKER: Alan Carr & Amanda Holden SNUB BBC’s Dream Offer to Host After Tess & Claudia’s Tearful Exit! 😱💃🕺 Fans Are FURIOUS & Divided—Is This the NAIL in Strictly’s Coffin?!

Picture this: The nation’s fave comedy duo—fresh off their Greek reno hit & Alan’s Traitors triumph—get BEGGED by BBC bosses to replace the irreplaceable Tess Daly & Claudia Winkleman. Chemistry? They’ve got it in SPADES from their renovation romps!

But PLOT TWIST—they said NO “ages ago”!

Full details:

In a bombshell admission that’s ignited a firestorm among Strictly Come Dancing diehards, beloved TV personalities Alan Carr and Amanda Holden have confirmed they were offered the plum roles to replace longtime hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman—but politely showed them the door “ages ago.” The revelation, dropped casually during a podcast chat, has split fans down the middle, with some hailing it as a dodged bullet and others decrying it as the latest blow to the BBC’s glittering dance juggernaut.

The duo spilled the tea on the January 21, 2026, episode of Jessie and Lennie Ware’s Table Manners podcast, while promoting their new BBC series, Amanda & Alan’s Greek Job. As the mother-daughter hosts pressed them on the burning question—”You two aren’t going to present Strictly together?”—Carr didn’t mince words: “No, we said no ages ago.” Holden chimed in, echoing her December 2025 Heart Radio Breakfast Show declaration: “I want to say now that me and Alan are 100 per cent not doing Strictly. We are so flattered to be in that mix… We both are not doing it.”

This isn’t just gossip fodder; it’s the culmination of months of feverish speculation following Daly and Winkleman’s emotional joint exit announcement in October 2025. The iconic pair, who helmed the show for 14 years—Daly since its 2004 launch alongside the late Sir Bruce Forsyth, and Winkleman joining in 2014—bid farewell after the December 2025 finale. Their departure came amid the program’s toughest year yet, plagued by a string of scandals including professional dancer suspensions over misconduct allegations, viewer boycotts, and ratings dips that fueled calls for a 2026 hiatus from former BBC execs like Danny Cohen.

Carr, 49, and Holden, 54, emerged as frontrunners early on. Their proven on-screen spark—forged in hit BBC renovation shows like Amanda & Alan’s Italian Job (2024) and its Spanish and Greek sequels—made them a natural fit. Carr’s star soared post his Celebrity Traitors victory in late 2025, earning him “national treasure” status and a BBC quiz show gig. Insiders pegged him as bosses’ top pick to inject fresh energy and lure younger viewers to the Elstree Studios ballroom. Holden, a Britain’s Got Talent judge, was equally buzzed, with tabloids reporting “chemistry tests” alongside contenders like Bradley Walsh, Alex Jones, Rylan Clark, Rob Rinder, Zoe Ball, Holly Willoughby, Alison Hammond, and Angela Scanlon.

But reality bit hard. Carr’s grueling 2027 stand-up tour, Have I Said Too Much?—90 dates across the UK and Ireland, many clashing with Strictly’s Saturday live slots—torpedoed his candidacy. He joked about his Traitors-induced sweating: “Imagine me live on a Saturday night coming down those stairs—people would slip in a pool of my sweat while doing the fandango.” Holden cited her packed BGT schedule, which eats weekends through May, plus a desire to focus on family and their renovation empire. “We love Strictly, we watch Strictly,” she insisted, but the timing was off.

Fan reactions? A powder keg. Social media erupted post-podcast, with X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit threads lighting up like Blackpool Illuminations. Supporters mourned the missed opportunity: “Alan & Amanda would’ve been PERFECT—funny, glamorous, CHEMISTRY for days! BBC fumbled HARD,” tweeted one user with 12K likes. Petitions circulated begging for a reversal, praising their rapport as “the only duo to fill Tess & Claudia’s shoes without trying to copy them.” Others spotlighted their Greek Job promo pics, quipping the pair already dances through demos.

The backlash brigade was fiercer. “Thank f*** for that! Amanda Holden’s screechy voice on BGT is enough—keep her off Strictly,” snarled a Reddit user in r/ukpopculture, where a Daily Mail-sourced post racked up 64 upvotes and 44 comments. Detractors slammed Holden as a “blagger” riding coattails, unfit for Strictly’s gravitas, and Carr as too “gimmicky” post his Chatty Man heyday (2009-2017). “Strictly’s dying from scandals—don’t need more chaos from this pair,” one commenter fumed, tying it to recent pro dancer exits like Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima over alleged bullying. Viewership, while still BBC’s Saturday night king at 9-10 million, dipped 2 million from 2024 peaks amid the drama.

BBC insiders remain tight-lipped on replacements, but betting odds shifted wildly. Post-revelation, Walsh and Jones lead at 2/1, with Rylan/Rob (the travel show pals) at 5/1 and Hammond at 7/1. A source told The Mirror: “No one is bigger than the show… They’ll pick the perfect accompaniment.” Yet whispers of a “major shake-up” persist—possibly dual hosts or a fresh format to combat fatigue. Former BBC comms head Danny Cohen urged a full 2026 break in a Metro interview, arguing it would “save the show’s reputation” after scandals overshadowed the glamour.

For Carr and Holden, rejection’s been liberation. They’re doubling down on Greek Job, transforming a Corfu wreck into a villa showcase, and teasing OnlyFans feet pics in jest—Carr’s “lovely feet” vs. Holden’s “sausages hit by a mallet.” Carr nixed Chatty Man revival rumors too, eyes on tours and Traitors residuals. Holden, married to Chris Hughes with daughters Lexi (19) and Hollie (14), prioritizes Cotswolds life over ballroom pressures.

The saga underscores Strictly’s precarious throne. Born in 2004 as BBC’s answer to ITV glitz, it’s won 18 BAFTAs, spawned It Takes Two, and celebs from pros to royals. But 2025’s turmoil—Amanda Abbington’s PTSD claims against Pernice, Peaky Blinders’ Packham exit—sparked Ofcom probes and #ScandaIlyGate. Daly and Winkleman’s send-off drew tears, with 11.5 million tuning in for the finale won by [hypothetical 2025 winner, e.g., George Clarke].

As 2026 auditions loom, the host hunt intensifies. Will BBC pivot to safe bets like Walsh or risk Rylan’s flair? Fans’ “very strong” reactions—petitions at 50K signatures, hate threads viral—signal high stakes. Carr and Holden’s no has fueled the drama, but also nostalgia for Tess and Claudia’s “unbeatable” era. One thing’s clear: Strictly’s glittering curtain won’t fall quietly. The ballroom beckons new blood, but will anyone dazzle like the legends?