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It seems Bradley Walsh has put himself out of the running to be the next host of Strictly Come Dancing with the announcement of his upcoming tour dates.
The Chase presenter had been one of the reported frontrunners for the coveted BBC gig for some months.
He was also among the presenters who were said to have completed an audition in front of BBC bosses last month, alongside the likes of Rylan Clark, Zoe Ball and Emma Willis.
However, the 65-year-old has now announced the autumn dates for his 2026 Prat Pack tour, and a number of them could easily clash with commitments at Elsetree Studios.
Walsh will be performing the tour as part of his variety tribute to the Rat Pack, with friends Brian Conley, Joe Pasquale and Shane Richie, plus a 15-piece live band.
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After their sold-out run last year, the group have shared ticketing details for 17 fresh dates, titled The Prat Pack’s Back, which will run from September 2 in Edinburgh up until September 26 at the London Palladium.
In 2025, Strictly launched on September 20, with a pre-recorded show and plenty of promotional duties beforehand.
It isn’t an impossibility Walsh could still be chosen as the upcoming host, but it looks less and less likely if his entire month leading up to the series is stacked.
A source told The Sun: ‘Bradley’s announcement looks to be the surest sign yet he’s not the new Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
‘The Prat Pack perform as a foursome so there’s no chance Bradley can be covered for clashes, and by the same token he would be needed by the BBC for most of September for pre-records and press.
‘There are just four days off on the tour. It’s unlikely it would have been unveiled this week, with tickets put on sale, if a Strictly update announcing Bradley as host was imminent.’
A BBC spokesperson said: ‘Plans for Strictly Come Dancing 2026 will be confirmed in due course.’
It comes after Strictly confirmed its judging panel for the 2026 series, as well as the roster of returning professional dancers, following a number of high-profile culls from the cast.
The broadcaster said that there will be new dancers joining the line-up, but these additions will not be confirmed until ‘closer to the return of the show’ this autumn.
Back once again for the new series will be the judging panel, including Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke.
They will be joined by longtime head judge Shirley Ballas, who recently caused fears among fans that she might be exiting amid a new spin-off show she is judging with her son Mark for Dancing on Ice.
Metro contacted Bradley Walsh’s representative for comment on this story.
Strictly Come Dancing will be back on the BBC this autumn.
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