Zoe Ball and Emma Willis ‘battling it out to host Strictly Come Dancing’

Claudia and Tess quit the show after the last series

The Strictly glitterball(Image: PA)

Zoe Ball and Emma Willis are reportedly in a “straight shoot-out” to host Strictly Come Dancing alongside a “female stand-up comedian”.

It has been claimed that the BBC wants to continue with an all-female presenting team, following the success of Tess Daly, 56, and 54 year old Claudia Winkleman – who quit the Latin and Ballroom dance competition at the end of the 2025 series.

A source told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: “It’s a straight shoot-out between Zoe, who is the front-runner, and Emma. Only one will get it, not both.

“The senior execs want a traditional presenter working alongside a more left-field person, a female stand-up comedian.

TV presenter Zoe Ball(Image: BANG Showbiz)

“It’s felt the humour Claudia brought to the show, particularly in her ‘Claudatorium’, needs to carry on.”

Zoe, 55, quit her BBC Radio 2 Saturday show in December 2025, which caused speculation that she could be hosting Strictly Come Dancing later this year.

The star – who replaced Claudia in fronting the Strictly Come Dancing spin-off show It Takes Two from 2011 until 2021, and also hosted the live tour in 2011 and 2015 – recently admitted she would “love” to take Tess or Claudia’s job.

In January, Zoe – who finished third on Strictly Come Dancing in 2005 with her 55-year-old professional dance partner, Ian Waite – told The Sunday Times’ Style Magazine: “Obviously, there’s a part of me that would love to do it. But I will still be watching, whoever hosts.”

However, her 87-year-old dad, TV personality Johnny Ball – who, with his 45-year-old professional dance partner, Iveta Lukosiute, finished last in the Latin and Ballroom dance competition in 2012 – said she was in the running to host Strictly Come Dancing.

And he claimed that a decision would be made in the spring.

In December 2025, Johnny told The Express: “People are coming to her, but it’s too early to say. I think she would love it, I think she would love the job because she took over from Claudia on It Takes Two, and if anything, she did a better job than Claudia.”

Like Zoe, Emma, 49, has extensive TV presenting experience, having hosted the likes of Celebrity Big Brother and Love is Blind: UK.

A BBC spokesperson said plans for the 2026 series of Strictly Come Dancing will be announced “in due course”.