Why has Rylan quit Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two?

Rylan Clark has announced that he is stepping away from a show he's worked on for the last four years as fans ask Why has Rylan quit Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two?

The much-loved TV presenter, who was forced to take a break from his radio 2 show in 2021 following the breakdown of his marriage to Dan, was 'hospitalized' over 'dark thoughts' before returning to screens to signal the end of his marriage by making a huge change at the BBC with his name change.

But now the star has decided to quit the BBC 2 spin-off show...

Why has Rylan quit Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes 2?

Rylan has announced that he has quit Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes 2 to "explore what else life has for me". To announce the news he shared a statement on his social media, captioned, "Been a pleasure x BBC Strictly" followed by a red heart emoji. 

The statement reads, "After four fantastic years it's time for me to hang up my glittery jacket and say goodbye to It Takes Two.

"I've had the best time hosting alongside Janette and Zoe and I can't thank the amazing team enough for always putting on a great show."

He continued: "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 my dancing feet."

Strictly Come Dancing shared a goodbye message to the star, they tweeted, "NEWS: Rylan is stepping down from hosting duties on It Takes Two. Thank you Rylan for the last four years, continuing the sparkle of Saturday night throughout the week. You will be sorely missed by the entire Strictly family!"

A statement on behalf of Kate Phillips, director of BBC Unscripted read: “On behalf of BBC Two, BBC Daytime, and Strictly fans everywhere, I want to thank Rylan for entertaining audiences so brilliantly for the past four years on Strictly It Takes Two.

“Rylan’s infectious personality, his stand-out sass and his genuine love for all the glitz and glamour of the ballroom, has 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.”

The show was originally hosted by Claudia Winkleman before Zoe Ball took over in 2011 and Rylan joined her on the show in 2019 as a co-host. Zoe stepped down in 2021 and Janette Manrara was confirmed as his new co-host. But fans are gutted with the news that he's leaving.

One fan wrote, "Nooooo oh Rylan don’t leave!"

Another fan put, "Noooooooooo!!!!! Absolutely love you on It Takes Two. You will be very much missed."

While a third fan added, "It won't be the same without you Rylan! We will miss you."

Other fans insisted that he takes part in the actual dance show, and some pointed to his possible presenting duties with Big Brother return. 

Who is tipped to replace Rylan as co-host of It Takes Two?

TV presenter Ore Oduba is being tipped to replace Rylan as co-host of It Takes Two. He won the Strictly series in 2016 and has served as the host of the annual Strictly Live Tour. Meanwhile, fans have suggested Fleur East replace him as "she knows the show now" and another urged for Janette's husband Aljaz Škorjanec to step in but Strictly It Takes Two will announce a new presenter in "due course".

Why did Rylan's marriage fail?

Rylan's marriage to Dan Neal failed after he he confessed to cheating on his husband 'years later'. Rylan and Big Brother Series 14 housemate Dan Neal got engaged in September 2014 and the pair married the following November. But after six years of marriage, it was announced that the couple had split on 27th June this year.

At the time he shared an insight into his split, "Following reports about Dan and I spending time apart, I feel I have to speak out - as the way it is being reported is unfair. I have made a number of mistakes which I deeply regret and have inevitably led to the breakdown of our marriage."

He later opened up more in a new book Ten: The Decade That Changed My Future available to buy on Amazon UK and Amazon.com in which he detailed the end of his marriage, he writes, "I woke up one morning and decided to tell my now ex that I had cheated on him, years ago. I’m not sure why it was that time, or that day I had to do it. But I did." 

On the reaction, Rylan continues: "He left. Told me it was over and that was that. You’re not surprised? I get that. But I couldn’t believe it."

What is Rylan doing at Eurovision?

Rylan is doing some presenting at Eurovision 2023 as he has been announced in the line-up of hosts to front the BBC's coverage. In an interview with Radio Times he admitted he didn't need to prepare. He said, "I’m very much immersed in Eurovision. I’ve watched the allocation draws from other countries every year, so I’m up on who’s going to be representing who in what country when it’s been announced.

"For me, it’s pretty much like watching This Morning for years, and then going and hosting. I feel like I don’t need to prepare for it, I’m just gonna go and do it."

He added, "Yeah, I’ll be all right. I always find that when you’ve got someone doing that type of job, if they love what they’re actually talking about, it makes it more authentic and more real."

Fans of Eurovision like Rylan might like this throwback to the best and worst Eurovision brit acts over the years.

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