Claudia Winkleman denies Strictly controversies were the reason she left

Following a string of scandals in the land of Strictly Come Dancing in recent years, Claudia Winkleman has spoken out for the first time.

In December, the Traitors host presented her final show of the BBC dance contest, as she and right-hand woman Tess Daly bowed out together.

Claudia joined the Strictly family in 2004, appearing on spin-off show It Takes Two before succeeding Sir Bruce Forsyth to front the main show with Tess in 2014.

Their partnership was historic, as they were primetime TV’s first female presenting duo, entertaining millions of viewers each week as Tess, 56, steered the ship from beside the judges’ desk, while Claudia, 54, fuelled chaos upstairs with the cast in the Claudatorium.

It was the perfect balance; hence, their exit made for emotional viewing last series.

And while Claudia and Tess felt it was the right time to step away, the esteemed broadcaster now also wants it known that Strictly’s controversies had nothing to do with their decision.

In a new interview, the host told the Daily Mail that she and Tess chose to leave ‘about a year before’ their official announcement. At the time, Strictly was making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

But when asked if it was a case of there simply being ‘one scandal too many,’ she replied emphatically: ‘Absolutely not.

‘It is a genuinely beautiful show to be part of. Almost every single person who’s taken part is happy they did. So no, it wasn’t that.’

Claudia’s comment about ‘almost’ every contestant speaking fondly about the experience likely refers to names such as Amanda Abbington, whose claims of bullying against professional partner Giovanni Pernice sparked a major internal investigation two years ago.

So, if that wasn’t the catalyst for Claudia and Tess’ departure, what was?

‘The show deserves new,’ she declared. ‘We wanted to leave when we were on an absolute high.’

Despite the ‘high,’ Claudia has admitted that she ‘sobbed’ to her husband, Kris Thykier, after filming her last piece to camera with Tess. Both had their partners and children in the audience.

‘It was 20 years of my life,’ Claudia reflected, despite noting it was ‘the right time’ and that she’ll always be part of the furniture.

‘I will always be friendly with the team; we’re going out for dinner in a couple of weeks. It was emotional,’ she added, explaining that her tears were purely because of how ‘momentous’ the occasion felt.

To say it’s been a turbulent few years for Strictly would be an understatement, as Sherlock actress Amanda’s accusations were merely the beginning of several storms.

After quitting the show prematurely, Amanda later expressed regret over taking part, saying she had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to Giovanni’s ‘inappropriate, mean, nasty bullying’.

The long-standing Italian pro refuted her claims, with a subsequent inquiry upholding several complaints against him, but clearing him of the most serious ‘physical aggression’ allegations.

Past contestants Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh also publicly spoke out, complaining about Giovanni’s training methods.

Soon after, fellow pro Graziano Di Prima was accused of being ‘physically and verbally abusive’ towards Zara McDermott during rehearsals. He apologised for his actions, with his spokesperson saying ‘he knows’ that ‘there is never a time when kicking is right’.

Both professionals were axed from the lineup and replaced after the investigation concluded.

But the controversy didn’t cease there, as the next season, Wynne Evans was axed from the show’s live arena tour after making a ‘spit roast’ remark about host Janette Manrara.

‘We have made it very clear to Wynne that we do not tolerate such behaviour on the tour,’ a spokesperson told the BBC at the time.

The opera singer has since said that he will ‘regret’ the comment for the rest of his life, stepping away from public life after BBC Radio decided not to renew his contract.

An additional external investigation was launched into the use of cocaine by two Strictly stars and drinking on the show by one of them.

The claims were made by Wynne, but the programme was given the all-clear after no supporting evidence was found.

Finally, EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick had his own Strictly scandal, having been filmed backstage during the live shows using a disabled slur. He was suspended briefly from the BBC soap.

Speculation is currently rife around who will step into Claudia and Tess’ shoes this autumn, with bosses yet to reveal their replacements.

Current front-runners include Emma Willis, Zoe Ball, Alex Jones, and Bradley Walsh, while Rylan Clark, Holly Willoughby, Angela Scanlon, and Alison Hammond’s names are also in the mix.

As for who Claudia wants to take over, she added to the Mail: ‘Sarah James, who runs this sparkly, fantastic ship, will choose correctly.