After nearly two decades on the BBC ballroom stalwart, the presenters have seen hundreds of celebrities spending 13 weeks learning Latin and ballroom in the hope of lifting that glitterball trophy.
One particular stand-out moment for Claudia was while she presented Strictly spin-off It Takes Two, and was suffering terribly with Morning Sickness, which left her needing to have a bucket behind her chair on set so she could throw up during VTs.
The 50-year-old shared: “I loved It Takes Two, it’s such a brilliant job because you are absolutely immersed but you feel like a sort of renegade and can be quite anarchic.
“I would dance with Len and we’d end up doing roly-polies! And nobody seemed to mind!
“On It Takes Two, I had morning sickness and there was this bucket behind the chair as I would throw up during every VT, which was really quite a lot for the crew to deal with.
Strictly’s Claudia Winkleman (L) and Tess Daly have recalled their most memorable moments on the show
/ BBC/Guy Levy“When my son was one, I would take him to work and he would often be hiding behind a sofa with a toy.”
Tess, 53, explained how special the show is to her as she has welcomed her two daughters with husband Vernon Kay, 48, during her 18 years on the series, and added that the Strictly crew are her “extended family”.
The presenter reminisced: “It feels like we’ve grown up together. I was pregnant with my eldest daughter, Phoebe, during series one, back in 2004, and now she’s about to turn 18!
“The crew who work on the show are nothing but the best; they are the not only the greatest at what they do, but just the greatest people.”
After starting the show in her 30s, Tess shared her gratitude for being part of one of the UK’s most-loved Saturday night shows into her 50s.
Tess said: “We had no idea how the show would be received, it was a new twist on an old format, but we didn’t know how the viewers would take it. I started the show in my 30s, and I’m in my 50s now.
Tess shared her gratitude for being on the show 18 years on
/ BBC/Ray Burmiston“It’s just been such a huge part of mine and my family’s lives. For the last 18 years, from September until Christmas, we get swept along on the Strictly juggernaut.
“Sometimes, I have to stop and take stock and think how incredible it is to be part of a show that has been part of the nation’s consciousness for almost two decades.
“How lucky am I, I never take that for granted, and I’m always so grateful to be a part of something that genuinely feels so special.”
Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturday at 6.30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer
