Claudia Winkleman ‘in tears’ as she nearly quit Strictly despite Tess Daly pact
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Claudia Winkleman has admitted that she threatened to quit Strictly Come Dancing despite making a "pact" with her co-host Tess Daly that they would leave the show together.
The 49 year old admitted that she nearly made the tough decision to turn her back on the popular BBC dance series after realising that a specific date fell on the same day she was due to take her eldest son Jake to university.
The mother of three admitted she was left "in tears" as she made an ultimatum phone call to BBC boss Sarah James because spending the day with her son on his first day as a fresher was "something parents have to go through."
Speaking on BBC Women's Hour, Claudia emotionally recalled: "I phoned the boss of Strictly quite dramatically and said, through tears, 'Sarah, I love you.
"I don't want to leave Strictly and Tess [Daly] and I have agreed we will leave together when they're done with us, but if the first show is September 13, I'm out and you'll have to go with somebody else'."
Luckily for Claudia, she didn't have to leave the show.
Speaking of Sarah's response, she added: "And there was a beat. And she said, 'Quite dramatic. We don't start that week'."
Claudia explained: "It's not that I love him more than others love their kids, but this is something parents have to go through."
As well as 18 year old Jake, Claudia shared Matilda, 15, and Arthur, 10, with husband, Kris Thykier.
In a previous interview with The Sun, TV presenter Claudia revealed that she had her Strictly co-star Tess made a pact to leave the show together.
Claudia said that their bond had grown so strong that they wouldn't work without each other.
"When one of us is done, we go together. So she's not allowed to leave," Claudia told the publication.
Claudia started working on the show in 2004, as she hosted spin-off It Takes Two.
She later joined Tess on the main show in 2012, and they took over from the late Sir Bruce Forsyth in 2014.
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