Strictly viewers have questioned why hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman weren’t dressed in costume for the Halloween special on Saturday night.
While the celebrities and judges were dressed head to toe in remarkable costumes, eagle-eyed fans were quick to notice both Tess and Claudia were in their usual glamorous dresses.
Tess and Claudia haven’t worn costumes on Halloween since Claudia’s daughter Matilda was burned in a horrific accident back in 2014.
Matilda was just eight-years-old when she suffered severe burns after her costume brushed a candle and set her on fire while trick or treating.
At the time of the accident, Claudia temporarily stepped down from hosting Strictly Come Dancing and went on to become a staunch campaigner for the safety and regulations around the materials used in children’s fancy dress costumes.
Talking about the agonising moment of the accident, Claudia said previously: ‘I don’t like Halloween because three years ago it turned out our screams were real.
‘She “went up” is the only way I can describe it – it was a spark, and she screamed out for me.
‘It was like those horrific birthday candles that you blow out and they come back. It was really fast. It was definitely life-changing for me.’
‘I was talking to somebody and then I heard her shout and she was on fire. It feels like she was on fire for hours, but the surgeon said it was probably just seconds.’
The star shares Matilda with husband of 23 years Chris Thykier. She also has sons Jake and Arthur.
Viewers took to X – formerly known as Twitter to question why the hosts weren’t in costume.
One fan wrote: ‘Well the judges look good why didn’t Tess and Claudia dress up’.
Others said: ‘Tess and Claudia should dress up, everyone else does. It is a shame that they don’t #strictly’ and ‘Why do the #Strictly judges always dress up for Halloween but Tess and Claudia don’t?’
Judges Anton du Beke, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Shirley Ballas, all embraced the eerie atmosphere as they dressed up in elaborate and chilling ensembles to celebrate the yearly Spooktacular event of the Latin and ballroom show.
Craig took on the role as the stern and scary Severus Snape from Harry Potter, while Motsi wowed with her spider-inspired attire, featuring an enormous cobweb adorning her head.
Anton, on the other hand, transformed into a brilliant yet insane scientist, and head judge, Shirley Ballas, made a striking appearance as the malevolent queen from Snow White, perfectly fitting for the spooky theme of the night.
This week saw Angela Scanlon and professional dancer Carlos Gu kick off Strictly’s Halloween Week with a Black Swan pasodoble to Swan Lake.
Waterloo Road’s Adam Thomas and his partner Luba Mushtuk did the American Smooth to Magic Moments by Perry Como, whilst Annabel Croft and Johannes Radebe took on the Tango to Need U Tonight by INXS.
Angela Rippon and Kai Widdrington danced a Charleston to the Murder She Wrote theme tune and Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell did the Cha Cha to Come-On-A-My-House by Della Reese.
Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola took on a Salsa to Murder On The Dancefloor by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Lauren Oakley did a Viennese Waltz to Kiss From A Rose by Seal, whilst Layton Williams and his partner Nikita Kuzmin performed a Tango to Vampire by Olivia Rodrigo.
Nigel Harman and Katya Jones had a few negative comments to their Cha Cha which they danced to I Was Made For Lovin’ You by KISS.
Last week’s dance-off survivors, Zara McDermott and Graziano Di Prima, took on the Charleston to Jeepers Creepers by Al Donahue and his Orchestra.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
