STRICTLY judge Anton du Beke has paid tribute to exiting hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.

The show’s former professional dancer posted a heartfelt video reacting to the “saddest, saddest news”.
A man in a brown jacket and white turtleneck speaks, with text "are amazing" superimposed on the image.Anton Du Beke said he was devastated to hear the newsCredit: Instagram
Strictly stars were left in shock today as the hosting duo confirmed their exit after 21 years.

Anton said: “Where do I start? @tessdaly and @claudiawinkle, you two are extraordinary.

“Tess I remember back in 2004 in a London hotel introducing this wonderful new show Strictly Come Dancing to the world.

“You’ve been a torchbearer for our fabulous show from the beginning. But more importantly for those 20 years, you’ve been a wonderful friend and colleague. I’m going to miss you dearly on a Saturday night.

“Hand in hand with the fabulous Claudia, taking over from my hero Brucie, together you have elevated the show to unprecedented levels as the most magnificent presenting duo!

“I’m going to miss you both terribly, but whatever you choose to do in the future, I’m sure you’ll both be a huge success.

“I love you both. I’ll see you Saturday night and look forward to the rest of the series together.”

Tess replied to the message, writing: “Love you so much, touched my heart xxx.”

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Meanwhile Claudia replied with four love heart emojis.

Tess has been the host of Strictly for 21 years since the show started, with Claudia joining her in 2014 when she replaced the legendary Bruce Forsyth.

The pair have not given a reason for their decision, which comes after the BBC show was hit by a string of recent scandals involving its professional dancers and behind-the-scenes conduct.

Plummeting viewing figures and “underwhelming” line-ups even prompted betting giants to offer odds earlier this year on this being the show’s final outing.