Bradley Walsh has insisted that hosting Strictly Come Dancing would “ruin” his weekends.
The TV show host is already known for huge programmes such as The Chase and Gladiators, but his name has also been in the mix when it comes to who will take over the reins of the BBC ballroom show.
Long-running hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly stepped down after the 2025 series, saying that it “feels like the right time”, and so far it isn’t known who will replace them.
However, Bradley, 65, has now appeared to rule himself out of the job in a chat with Radio Times.
Quizzed about whether he and his son Barney, his co-host on Gladiators, would be interested in filling the vacancy, he described “a potted version” of his weekends in the winter months.
He said: “I come home from the studio on a Friday, have dinner and watch I’m a Celebrity. On Saturday, I’ll watch the football results, have dinner and a pint, watch Strictly, then I’m a Celebrity, and flip back to the BBC for Match of the Day.
“On Sunday I get up late, watch some Columbo, then the football, followed by the Strictly results, then I’m a Celebrity, and then Match of the Day. If I was to host Strictly, it would absolutely ruin my weekend.”
Barney, 28, chimed in to confirm it was “completely true”. “That’s Dad’s weekend, every weekend,” he said.
Claudia and Tess announced in October that they were leaving Strictly. “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 pair shared in an Instagram.
Since then, several stars have been linked to hosting spot, including The One Show’s Alex Jones, former Strictly pro Kevin Clifton and his partner Stacey Dooley and presenter Rylan.
Loose Women and Lorraine star Christine Lampard and TV judge Rob Rinder have also been tipped as contenders for the job.
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Gladiators returns to iPlayer and BBC One on Saturday January 17 from 5.45pm and Strictly Come Dancing is available on BBC iPlayer