Tess Daly is leaving Strictly Come Dancing after more than 20 years because she and co‑host Claudia Winkleman decided it was the right time to “pass the baton” together, not because of any single drama or axing.

What Tess has said

  • Tess has described Strictly as feeling like a “third child” and a “second family”, but says it now feels like the right moment to say goodbye and let someone else take over.
  • In her farewell statements, she repeatedly thanks the viewers, crew and colleagues and frames the move as “time to pass the baton,” not a fallout with the show.

Why she’s leaving (known reasons)

Publicly, the reasons are a mix of timing, career stage and ending on a high:

  • She and Claudia always planned to leave together as a duo and agreed that this series felt like the natural end point.
  • After over two decades on the show, Tess says it “feels like the appropriate moment” to step away while Strictly is still a huge Saturday‑night success.

Behind‑the‑scenes factors (reported)

Entertainment reports and insiders add some extra context, but these are more “showbiz gossip” than official reasons:

  • Reports say Tess and Claudia made a secret pact nearly a year before announcing it, telling the BBC they would only sign a one‑year contract before leaving together.
  • Coverage around Claudia highlights her growing workload (for example with The Traitors) and a desire for more family time, which likely fed into the joint decision to go.

Is there any scandal?

  • There is no confirmed scandal or single incident given as the reason for Tess leaving; official statements focus on gratitude, timing and ending the Strictly chapter positively.
  • Some outlets mention things like online criticism and general show turbulence in recent years, but these are speculative angles rather than reasons Tess herself has named.

The “latest news” as of now

  • Their final Strictly appearance is scheduled for Christmas Day 2025, wrapping up 21 years for Tess on the show.
  • Recent coverage shows Tess posting emotional messages about how “full” her heart is and how much the show has meant to her, reinforcing that this is a bittersweet but deliberate exit, not a forced one.

TL;DR: When people ask “why is Tess Daly leaving Strictly,” the clearest answer is: she and Claudia chose, together, to bow out after 20+ years because it felt like the right time to move on and hand the show over to new hosts, with no confirmed scandal driving the decision.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.