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Sara Cox is reportedly ‘being eyed up by Strictly Come Dancing’s bosses’ as they said she is a ‘good fit’ to replace Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly.
The Radio 2 DJ, could take over as the BBC’s show host after Claudia and Tess left the BBC show last year, according to The Sun.
A source told the publication: ‘Fans of Sara’s Radio 2 drivetime show know she has that off-the-cuff patter down to a tee and has a brilliant reputation as an honest, hardworking pro.
‘Execs have mentioned her name as someone who would be a good fit for the job.’
Sara is a prominent British broadcaster best known for hosting the Radio 1 Breakfast Show (2000–2003) and her long-standing career with the BBC, particularly for hosting Drivetime and Sounds of the 80s.
The Daily Mail has contacted Sara and the BBC’s representatives for a comment.
It was recently reported that Emma Willis and Zoe Ball are also strongly being considered for one of the hosting spots by bosses.
Emma, 49, recently took over from Zoe, 55, on BBC Radio 2 after she stepped down from the afternoon slot after just seven months.
Zoe has said she would ‘love’ to take on the hosting job, who previously hosted Strictly spin-off show It Takes Two until 2021.
A source said: ‘It’s a straight shoot-out between Zoe, who is the front-runner, and Emma. Only one will get it, not both.’
They added to The Sun on Sunday: ‘The senior execs want a traditional presenter working alongside a more left-field person, a female stand-up comedian.
‘It’s felt the humour Claudia brought to the show, particularly in her ‘Claudatorium’, needs to carry on.’
The Daily Mail contacted Emma Willis and Zoe Ball’s representatives for comment at the time.
Emma is best known for her TV work hosting The Voice and Love Is Blind UK alongside husband and Busted star Matt Willis, 42.
Last month, Zoe confessed she would love to take on the most sought-after job in British TV – presenting Strictly Come Dancing.
The speculation intensified when the presenter announced she was stepping down from her Saturday Radio 2 slot, leaving her weekends open for the top telly job.
But Zoe has broken her silence on the rumours, insisting that whilst she hasn’t been approached yet, she would ‘love’ to take it on.
‘Obviously there’s part of me that would love to do it,’ she said. ‘I love that show. I loved performing on it with Ian Waite, who is one of my best buddies. It’s so joyful.’
She cautioned though that it would be a mammoth task to step into her friends Claudia and Tess’ shoes, pointing out ‘it’s live telly, which is another thing that people don’t give the girls enough credit for.
‘That show is a beast. Whoever gets to do it has a tough act to follow.’
Zoe then mused to The Sunday Times Style Magazine about the ‘so many brilliant’ stars who she could co-host Strictly with, admitting that whilst the likes of Alan Carr and Amanda Holden have ruled themselves out ‘Rylan would kill it and no one’s mentioned Vernon Kay!’
Whilst Zoe feels ready to step into the Strictly shoes, she insists the potential new job isn’t the reason she left her Saturday Radio 2 slot.
Zoe stepped away her weekend show after just seven months, after previously quitting the coveted Breakfast Show slot in late 2024.
She has explained that the move away from radio was in part due to the grief of losing her beloved mother Julia Peckham in April 2024 after a short battle with cancer with the star calling the months after her death ‘a crazy, awful, hideous nightmare’.
Her grief caused her to reassess her career path and hone in on her relationships with her children Nelly, 16, and Woody, 25.
Viewers saw Tess and Claudia bid an emotional farewell to Strictly during the Christmas Day special, which had been filmed before the main show’s live final last year.
Dressed in festive white and cream outfits, Tess and Claudia shared an emotional hug and dance while the celebrity contestants applauded them for their work on the show.
Bringing the show to a close, Tess told viewers: ‘Thank you again for watching us over the years, it has truly meant the world to us.’
In a statement announcing their departure in October, Tess and Claudia said: ‘We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream. We were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time.
‘We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series and we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to every single person who works on the show. They’re the most brilliant team and we’ll miss them every day.
‘We will cry when we say the last “keep dancing” but we will continue to say it to each other. Just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza.’
The duo hosted their last ever live show on December 20 after 21 years working on the show.
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