Strictly’s Tess and Claudia reminisce on 20 years of the show recalling pregnancies while presenting

After 20 years on the show, Tess and Claudia of Strictly Come Dancing have reminisced about both their personal and professional lives during the two decades they spent on BBC One’s hit show.

On the television series Ballroom Dancing, hundreds of celebrities have spent 13 weeks of their year performing a samba, waltz, jive or anything in between.

But the show’s two constants are blonde and brunette duo Tess Daly, 53, and Claudia Winkleman, 50, who have celebrated Strictly’s 20th anniversary by recalling some of their most memorable moments.

A special memory for Claudia was when she presented It Takes Two, the spin-off midweek show in which the presenter gets more intimate with the celebrities and their professional partners.

She recalled having morning sickness while filming, which left her with a bucket behind the seat so she could vomit during the intermissions of the videotape.

“I loved It Takes Two, it’s such a brilliant job because you’re totally immersed, but you feel like some sort of renegade and can be quite anarchic,” Claudia said. I’d dance with Len and we’d end up doing Roly Polis! And no one seemed to mind!

“On It Takes Two I had morning sickness and there was a bucket behind the seat that I had to throw up during every VT which was really a lot for the crew to deal with.

“When my son was one, I took him to work and he often hid behind a couch full of toys.”

Speaking of the crew as her “extended family,” as she had her two daughters during her time on the Strictly team, Tess Daly explained, “It feels like we grew up together.”

“I was pregnant with my oldest daughter Phoebe during Series One, in 2004, and now she’s about to turn 18!

“The crew working on the show are nothing but the best. They are not only the best at what they do, but the best people.”

Blonde beauty Tess recalled feeling out of her depth with the big names on the show when she first competed.

“I remember being so intimidated because I was working with the late, wonderful Sir Bruce Forsyth, someone I grew up watching television with my family, and it was pure squeezing,” she said.

“He was such a gentleman and immediately put me at ease by offering me a cup of tea.

“He turned on the kettle and made me the perfect cuppa, and I remember thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s just like the rest of us.’

“He was just so down to earth and so generous with his time and himself, so from then on I just started enjoying the ride.”

As for their favorite dances, Tess says her favorite tango is the Argentine tango, while Claudia prefers to “mow the lawn” when she’s doing the moves herself.

“I pretend to mow the lawn, which is hilarious because I don’t have a yard and never owned a lawnmower,” Claudia said. “But it’s powerful.”

Tess also talked about her own Strictly win when she competed in the Children in Need special in 2008, taking home the glittery ball trophy with dance pro Anton Du Beke.

She said: ‘I remember we did the Viennese Waltz and I was pregnant with my second child at the time, it was too early to tell anyone and I remember feeling so nauseous during all those rotations in the Viennese Waltz!

“But it was a joke as Anton is a gentleman and a pleasure to work with, so that was fun.

“I remember being so incredibly nervous at the time and really empathizing with our celebrities and what they go through with nerves.

“Being so far out of their comfort zone and doing a live performance can’t be underestimated, it was, frankly, scary.”

This series Strictly returns to Blackpool – the presenting duo’s favorite week – after a two-year absence.

Claudia said of the comeback: ‘Blackpool is without a doubt the most welcoming place I’ve ever been in my life. It’s all about Blackpool.

‘I ate fish and chips there four times in one day. I once did a conga with Peter Kay and Rick Astley. And the ballroom is so beautiful and inspiring, it takes your breath away.’ Tess added that she is very happy to be returning to the northern city.

Daly added: ‘The ballroom is iconic and the audience is so much bigger than our studio audience, so the atmosphere there is just always incredible. And it feels very exciting to be a part of that.’

Having started the show in their thirties and now in their fifties, the duo have shared their gratitude for being part of one of the UK’s most beloved Saturday night shows.

Tess said: “We had no idea how the show would be received, it was a new spin on an old format, but we didn’t know how viewers would perceive it. I started the show when I was in my thirties and I am now in my fifties.

“It’s just been such a big part of me and my family’s life. For the past 18 years, from September to Christmas, we’ve been swept up in the Strictly juggernaut.

“Sometimes I have to stop and take stock and think how incredible it is to be a part of a show that has been part of the nation’s consciousness for nearly two decades.

“How lucky I am, I never take that for granted, and I’m always so grateful to be a part of something that really feels so special.”

Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturday at 6:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer