Rylan Clark reveals why he’s quitting Strictly: It Takes Two

Rylan Clark said he is stepping down from presenting Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two to “pass on the baton to someone else and explore what else life has for me”.

The 34-year-old TV personality, who has been presenting the spin-off show since 2019, will continue to provide the BBC’s commentary for the Eurovision Song Contest this May as well as doing his Saturday Radio 2 show.

Clark originally joined the series to host with long-time presenter Zoe Ball before professional dancer Janette Manrara joined in 2021.

In a statement on Instagram, Clark wrote: “I’ve had the best time hosting the show alongside Janette and Zoe and I can’t thank the amazing team enough for always putting on a great show.

“I’ve been welcomed into the Strictly family and will firmly hold that title dear to me. The time has come for me to pass on the baton to someone else and explore what else life has for me.

“Thank you Strictly, you will always have my heart… and dancing feet.”

Under the post, Strictly professional dancers Nancy Xu Xi, Johannes Radebe and Tyler West sent their “love” to Clark along with the celebrity dancing show’s presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.

The BBC said the series will announce a new presenter in due course.

Kate Phillips, director of unscripted at the BBC, said she wanted to thank Clark on behalf of fans for “entertaining audiences so brilliantly for the past four years”.

She added: “Rylan’s infectious personality, his stand-out sass and his genuine love for all the glitz and glamour of the ballroom have been a big part of It Takes Two’s continued success.

“Rylan will always be part of the Strictly family of course, but I know he’ll be hugely missed by all the Strictly It Takes Two viewers, Janette and everyone else who works on the show.”

Beginning as a contestant on the singing competition X Factor back in 2012, Clark went on to win Celebrity Big Brother the following year which launched him further into the public eye as he went on to host Big Brother’s Bit On The Side.

Since then he has presented various shows including ITV’s This Morning, Supermarket Sweep and The Xtra Factor Live, the BBC’s The One Show and Ready Steady Cook and Channel 5’s Celebrity Ghost Hunt, along with starring in Channel 4’s Celebrity Gogglebox with his mother.

He also had appearances acting in 2016 comedy film Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie and The Keith Lemon Sketch Show and will also star in an upcoming Eurovision-themed episode of Radio 4 soap The Archers.

His presenting work on the BBC has also seen him taking part in charity challenges including a hike for this year’s Red Nose Day to reach the summit of the snow-capped Cairngorm mountain in Scotland over three days and singing non-stop karaoke for 24 hours for Children In Need 2019.

Eve Winstanley, executive producer of the Strictly spin-off series, said: “It has been so much fun working with Rylan.

“Myself and the It Takes Two team will miss his boundless energy and love for entertaining viewers.

“We’d like to thank him for being a huge sparkling part of the Strictly family for the last four years.”

Clark revealed in 2021 that he had separated from his husband, ex-police officer and former Big Brother contestant Dan Neal, who he married in 2015.