Strictly Come Dancing presenter Tess Daly found herself in an awkward live television moment during the show's prestigious Blackpool special, making a blunder that viewers were quick to pick up on.
The On-Air Slip-Up
While interviewing former finalists Danny Mac and Ashley Roberts beside the iconic Tower Ballroom, Daly appeared to inadvertently reveal a long-suspected secret about the show's format. The presenter, who is leaving Strictly alongside co-host Claudia Winkleman at the end of this year's competition, was discussing a special group number featuring the former finalists alongside Jay McGuiness and Layton Williams.
She initially correctly stated: "You are back because you're taking part in a very special group number we've got tomorrow night in the show." However, she later slipped up, telling the dancers: "We can't wait to see you perform later on. Thank you so much for coming."
Viewer Reaction and Awkward Pause
The comment was immediately followed by an awkward pause from Daly, with reports suggesting there were issues with the autocue. Viewers watching the Saturday night broadcast quickly took to social media platform X to comment on the apparent mistake.
One observant fan noted: "You can pinpoint the exact moment Tess realises she's f****** up by officially revealing the Sunday show isn't live." Another wrote: "Obsessed with tessbot breaking after she said 'later on' instead of 'tomorrow night' #strictly."
Other reactions included comments about Daly's reaction, with one viewer stating: "Those faces when Tess messed up," while another humorously observed: "That's the first time I've seen a human being buffering #Strictly."
Format Changes and Schedule
Strictly Come Dancing: The Results Show returns on Sunday night at 7.15pm on BBC One, but this week's episode will feature a significant change. Due to contestant La Voix being forced to pull out of the competition because of injury, there will be no dance-off this week, and all remaining celebrities will progress directly to next week's show.
The incident during the Blackpool special has confirmed what many Strictly fans had long suspected - that the Sunday results show is recorded immediately after the live Saturday broadcast, despite presenters typically maintaining the pretence that it's filmed separately.
