Zoe Ball has given away a huge clue she could become the next Strictly Come Dancing host as bosses eye up replacements for Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly.
The BBC Radio 2 host, 55, has been rumoured to take over from the iconic pair for a while as she previously hosted spin-off show, It Takes Two.
Now, eagle-eyed fans have noticed that Zoe has followed all the series’ professional dancers and judges on Instagram.
She has also hit follow on Strictly’s official fan page, as well as some other accounts which are run by the public.
A source said: ‘Zoe is an absolute Strictly buff – she absolutely, unequivocally adores this show.
‘It is down to three female options right now, and Zoe is one of them. Officially no offer has been made to anyone, and frankly Zoe isn’t sure she wants or needs the constant scrutiny that comes with such a massive gig.’
Zoe Ball has given away a huge clue she could become the next Strictly Come Dancing host as bosses eye up replacements for Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly
They added to The Sun: ‘But the other interesting thing to note is that Zo hosted It Takes Two, the spin-off show, for a decade until 2021 and Claudia Winkleman was her predecessor… and look what she went on to do.’
A BBC spokesperson told Daily Mail: ‘Plans for Strictly Come Dancing 2026 will be confirmed in due course.’
The Daily Mail has also contacted Zoe Ball’s representative for comment.
There have been plenty of names thrown into the mix, some include the likes of Emma Willis, Rylan Clark, Alison Hammond and Alex Jones.
It is not known who will be taking over from Claudia and Tess, who presented the show together from 2014, or when their replacements will be announced.
After weeks of speculation and multiple major names turning the job down, nine shortlisted stars were summoned to a top-secret location in London to battle it out in full-scale dress rehearsals with a judging panel and live band in a bid to get the troubled show back on track.
BBC bosses held secret auditions and chemistry tests with the celebrities and forced the stars to sign strict NDAs to keep the tryouts under wraps.
Last month a source told The Sun: ‘It’s not just about reading autocue. They’ll be looking at how people work together and humour is a massive part of it. There’s everything to play for.’
The BBC Radio 2 host, 55, has been rumoured to take over from the iconic pair for a while as she previously hosted spin-off show, It Takes Two
Now, eagle-eyed fans have noticed that Zoe has followed all the series’ professional dancers and judges as well as Strictly’s official fan page, and some other accounts
The chosen few who were called to the final test were watched closely and bosses are hoping to make a decision soon.
Among those confirmed to be in the callbacks were Rylan, Emma, Tom Allen and One Show presenter Alex Jones.
Other stars summoned to the auditions were This Morning host Alison Hammond, The Chase presenter Bradley Walsh, and RuPaul’s Drag Race star La Voix.
A source said: ‘They really want to bring the fun this year. It’s all about chemistry, who clicks instantly and can keep the energy up live on air.
‘They could stick with two female hosts as that’s worked brilliantly. But they’re also open to mixing it up.
‘If Rylan and Tom Allen click, that could be a hilarious pairing. Equally, they could even introduce a third presenter to shake things up.’
The Beeb have recently given an insight into what fans can expect for the 24th series of the much-loved programme.
The likes of Dianne Buswell, 37, Nancy Xu, 34, Vito Coppola, 33, Julian Caillon, 30, Carlos Gu, 33, Lauren Oakley, 35, Amy Dowden, 35, Katya Jones, 36, Neil Jones, 44, Nikita Kuzmin, 28, Jowita Przystał, 31, Johannes Radebe, 39, Aljaž Škorjanec, 36, Alexis Warr, 25, and Kai will be returning to the dance floor this year.
They will be joined by some new professional dancers who are yet to be announced.
Karen Hauer, 43, Gorka Marquez, 35, Nadiya Bychkova, 36, Michelle Tsiakkas, 30, and Luba Mushtuk , 36, were all given the boot.
The celebrities will be judged by Shirley Ballas, 65, Craig Revel Horwood, 61, Motsi Mabuse, 45, and Anton du Beke, 59.
And some of the themes returning each week will include Movies, Icons, Halloween and Musicals, as well as the yearly visit to the Blackpool Tower Ballroom.
But unfortunately viewers will also have to wait a little bit longer to find out which famous faces have decided to sign up to the show this year.
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