Emma Willis was seen for the first time after reports that she had landed the coveted Strictly Come Dancing job.
Emma Willis was all smiles as she made her way to work yesterday after it was reported that the popular presenter is said to have won the race for the coveted hosting role of Strictly Come Dancing, following the news that Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman would be stepping down.
BBC bosses are reportedly set to offer the opportunity to Emma after months of auditions – she was rumoured to be sharing the screen with Zoe Ball, but Zoe later confirmed that she had failed to get the role.
Emma was leaving a television recording studio in London on Thursday, May 14th in high spirits. The rumoured new Strictly host maintained a broad smile, sporting her signature subtle cheetah like glasses, as she headed to her waiting car, marking her first public appearance since securing the role.
Wearing a checkered shirt and light blue jeans, Emma smiled right at the camera before making her way in to the car carrying what seems to be a gift bag.
It’s a sharp turn around for the former Big Brother host, who was one advised against going anywhere near the beloved competition.
As well as Big Brother, Emma has presented a wealth of television shows across the course of her career, and currently hosts Cooking With the Stars with Tom Allen as well as Netflix hit Love Is Blind alongside her husband Matt. On occasion, she takes over the presenting role on This Morning and previously anchored Loose Women for a short period of time.
Ever since Tess and Claudia broke the news that they were leaving, several big showbiz names have been rumoured to be their replacements, including Chris and Rosie Ramsay, Rylan Clark, Holly Willoughby, Amanda Holden and Angela Scanlon amongst a host of others.
In the initial announcement, which consisted of a video of the pair sitting next to one another, Claudia began with: “Hi, it’s Claud and Tess. There have been some rumblings, and we want you to hear this from us…” Tess continued: “Yeah, we have news. After 21 wonderfully joyful years on Strictly we have decided the time is right to step aside and pass on the baton…”
“The very sparkly baton…” Claudia interjected before she turned to Tess and said: “You’ve been here since the beginning…” Tess, who used to host the show with the late Bruce Forsyth, then replied: “2004 with Brucey – lovely Bruce.
“That’s over two decades ago and a lot of that time has been with you. It’s been a huge part of our lives, hasn’t it? Since our children were literally babes in arms and now they’re young adults and I think, genuinely we have cherished every second.”
Claudia added: “We have, we’re so lucky to have been part of this amazing show and we just want to thank the Strictly team because Strictly is the people who make it so thank you…” Tess agreed: “They are the very best team in television we’ve been so lucky.
“And the audience as well, they’ve been so wonderful. They’ve been with us for this entire journey of 21 years and we wouldn’t have a show without them and they’ve been just so loyal and supportive.”
Claudia added: “We have, we’re so lucky to have been part of this amazing show and we just want to thank the Strictly team because Strictly is the people who make it so thank you…” Tess agreed: “They are the very best team in television we’ve been so lucky.
Emma has made no secret she’s a huge fan of the show and is said to have impressed bosses when they gave her the call up to audition.
A source said: “Emma has been offered the Strictly job and is going to accept. She absolutely nailed the chemistry tests and the BBC adore her. Emma is a household name and a safe pair of hands so the BBC know she will do the job justice.
“She’s incredibly popular with the public too and will suit the role down to a tee. She was absolutely thrilled to have been offered the job. Strictly is one of the biggest shows on television and to be trusted with the new era is something Emma feels incredibly proud and humbled by,” the Sun report.
Emma reportedly did a chemistry test with Zoe, as well as other pairings including Alex Jones and Rylan Clark and Bradley Walsh and Rob Rinder.
A spokesperson for the BBC told The Mirror: “Plans for Strictly Come Dancing 2026 will be confirmed in due course.”
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