Strictly Come Dancing viewers were left confused by a change of host on Saturday night
Sara Baalla Screen Time TV Reporter
19:31, 01 Nov 2025Updated 19:44, 01 Nov 2025
Strictly Come Dancing host Tess Daly was “replaced” halfway through the Halloween special.
The hit BBC dancing competition returned to screens on Saturday night (November 1), with Tess and her co-host Claudia Winkleman welcoming the celebrities back to the iconic ballroom.
Judges Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Motsi Mabuse, and Craig Revel Horwood were also ready to critique the performances, ahead of the fifth elimination on Sunday.
During the show, George Clarke and Alexis Warr performed a Cha Cha Cha to Charli XCX’s Brat anthem Apple.
After receiving their points from the judges, Claudia handed over to Tess to introduce the next couple, but the star was nowhere to be seen. Instead, La Voix read the autocue before taking to the dancefloor with her partner Aljaž Škorjanec.
Tess Daly was “replaced” on Saturday(Image: BBC)READ MORE: Strictly Come Dancing pro supported by fans after ‘proud’ post with rarely seen husbandREAD MORE: Strictly Come Dancing’s Karen Carney details ‘challenging’ health condition
Speaking to camera while dressed as the Queen of Hearts, La Voix said: “So far this series, our next star has been a boxer, a bird lady and Cher! Quite the variety. Tonight, she’s taking on the Queen of Hearts for an Alice in Wonderland-inspired Paso Doble. It’s La Voix and Aljaž!”
La Voix then turned around to ask Tess: “How did I do?” with the host confirming that she had “nailed it”.
The news comes after Tess and Claudia recently announced their departure from the BBC show after this year’s series.
Tonight, La Voix and Aljaž performed a spooky Paso Doble to The 5th by Beethoven. The judges were really impressed with the performance, scoring the pair 35 points.
After their routine, La Voix emotionally admitted: “I loved that. I’ve had a bit of a moment tonight, right this second now.
La Voix stepped in to host during the Halloween special(Image: BBC)
“This is the most petrifying place for me, this ballroom floor. And tonight, I think for the first time, I get what [the judges] feel with dancing and how magical it can feel.”
The star then thanked her partner for the experience, adding: “That was amazing.”
During last weekend’s live show, ex-Emmerdale star Lewis Cope and his professional partner Katya Jones topped the leaderboard after scoring an impressive 34 points for their Johnny Cash-inspired Quickstep to Ring of Fire.
Meanwhile, YouTuber George Clarke and Alexis Warr found themselves at the other end of the leaderboard with 27 points for their Harry Styles themed Jive to As It Was.
Despite placing second and fourth on the leaderboard, Amber Davies and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink found themselves in the dance-off. Amber was unanimously saved by the judges, meaning that Jimmy and Lauren Oakley became the fourth couple to be eliminated from the competition.
Strictly Come Dancing is available to stream on BBC iPlayer