Strictly Come Dancing bosses are reportedly planning a major overhaul of its spin-off show It Takes Two, with comedian Ellie Taylor lined up to take over as host after the current presenters were axed.
Fleur East and Janette Manrara dropped from It Takes Two
Fleur East, 38, and Janette Manrara, 42, have both been removed from the BBC Two programme, which airs weekly after the main show on BBC One. Janette emotionally confirmed her exit, saying she is 'no longer a part' of the show. Executives had reportedly described the format as 'boring' and were keen to inject fresh energy.
Ellie Taylor's Strictly connection
Ellie, who appeared as a contestant on Strictly in 2022 with pro dancer Johannes Radebe and finished in seventh place, is now rumoured to be the new face of the spin-off. A source told The Sun: 'Ellie was hugely popular with viewers when she appeared as a contestant on Strictly in 2022, and her infectious personality was also a hit with the senior production team.'
The source added: 'She very much featured in the discussions when they were looking to replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman on the main show, and although she didn’t get that job, she remained in the executive team’s thoughts. They were very keen to get her on It Takes Two which they felt was too boring and needed a major revamp. So she’s been hired for the It Takes Two hosting job.'
A long-running show with a new direction
It Takes Two has been a staple since 2004, originally hosted by Claudia Winkleman before she moved to the main series. Janette's departure comes after five years on the show. She told fans: 'Strictly has changed hugely and I am no longer a part of It Takes Two or the main show. I’ll still be involved in other ways. But that just means that I’m free to pursue and do many other projects that I’ve always wanted to do and never really thought about doing. Strictly is all I’ve known for the past 14 years so it is a bit like, “Oh, we’re going into a different world, a different space, how are we going to navigate that?”'
Big changes for Strictly 2026
This year's Strictly is already set to be dramatically different after it was announced that Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe will replace Winkleman and Tess Daly as hosts of the main show. Metro has contacted the BBC and representatives for Ellie Taylor for comment.
