Claudia Winkleman has revealed that she attempted to talk former Strictly Come Dancing judge Len Goodman out of quitting the show.

Ad

Speaking at the Radio Times Covers Party, the 45-year-old co-host of the BBC1 show said she tried to persuade him to remain on the programme “all the time”.

“I just went straight up to him,” explained Winkleman. “I almost head butted him when I’d heard [he was leaving] and I went ‘No, that’s not allowed. I like the fact that you’ve got an idea, but it’s not happening’, and he went ‘Claude…’”

Watch below: Claudia Winkleman on the future of Strictly after Len Goodman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyzgQLFDzjM

Before the 14th series aired last year, Goodman announced that it would be his last run on the show. He had been Head Judge since the first series in 2004.

“Oh I hated saying goodbye to Len,” added Winkleman. “I love him so much. We sort of couldn’t believe it – we kept on going, ‘He’ll change his mind, he’ll change his mind'.”

Ad

We also quizzed the presenter on who she thought would be replacing Goodman on the panel, and why she wants to see more politicians taking to the ballroom this year. Watch the full video interview above.

Comments, questions and tips

Rate this recipe

What is your star rating out of 5?

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

Overall rating

Ad
Ad
Ad
Create an image depicting a festive scene with elements from the top Christmas songs, such as a snowy New York for 'Fairytale of New York', a cozy home setting for 'Last Christmas', and a glamorous Christmas party for 'All I Want for Christmas Is You'. Include musical notes and festive decorations to represent the spirit of these iconic Christmas songs.

RT offer

Immediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live events

hello
An image depicting a festive scene with iconic Christmas elements such as a beautifully decorated Christmas tree with twinkling lights, snow gently falling, and perhaps a cozy fireplace in the background. The image should capture the essence of popular Christmas songs, with musical notes and lyrics subtly included in the design, representing a playlist of classic Christmas tunes.

summer

Immediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live eventsImmediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live eventsImmediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live events

More