Clara Amfo reveals she auditioned for Strictly presenting job and was 'gutted' when she didn't get it
Clara can finally spill the beansClara Amfo has revealed she secretly auditioned to host Strictly Come Dancing – but failed to secure the high-profile role.
The former Radio 1 DJ was ordered to keep tight-lipped as she met with bosses and tried out for the coveted role.
It has since been revealed that celebrities had to give taxi drivers false stories about what they were up to while travelling to Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire.
Unfortunately, Clara didn’t get the job. And she says she was “gutted” when she got the call.
Clara Amfo reveals she auditioned for Strictly Come Dancing
Clara described her place in the Strictly Come Dancing casting race while discussing the previously private audition on her podcast.
“I was in the mix. I can say it publicly now,” she said on Clara & Munroe Are Into It.
Clara added:”I tried out for the main job of Strictly Come Dancing. Didn’t get it. Bit gutted at the time, but quickly got over it.”
She then went on to praise the BBC’s first choices – Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe. The trio made their Strictly presenting debut on Saturday night.
Clara concluded: “It was intense, man, but big up Emma Willis. We get on fantastically well. She’s going to be amazing.
“Johannes Radebe, that’s my boy, we love Jojo, and Josh Widdicombe – lovely, lovely man.”
She then added: “I’m never mad at losing out on work to people I respect and who I think are really, really good at their jobs.”
Who else auditioned for Strictly’s presenting job?
Clara isn’t the only famous face to reveal she had tried out for the job. Zoe Ball – who had previously hosted companion show Strictly: It Takes Two, had also auditioned.
Zoe admitted she found it tough when she was turned down. She told her pal Jo Whiley: “I didn’t get it, but it’s OK. I have worked through the seven stages of grief and rejection.”
Actress and presenter Ellie Taylor also auditioned. Although she missed out on the main gig, the BBC have made her the new host of It Takes Two.
Not everyone is being quite so vocal, however. It was reported that Rylan Clark, Alison Hammond and Tom Allen were among the haul of celebrities called in. They are keeping hush hush though!
Read more: Strictly: Lights Off spin-off show announced by BBC after 2026 series gets off to glittering start
Strictly Come Dancing continues at 6.15pm on BBC One on Saturday September 26, 2026.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI technology to synthesise source reporting and structured data. It has been reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.
