“We are strictly done dancing” is the headline on the Daily Express, as it leads with the departure of Strictly hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly after 12 years. The duo are quoted as saying “now feels like the right time” to – as the paper describes – “waltz off”.
The pair’s announcement also leads the Metro as it dubs the phrase “Quitterball” across its front page. The outgoing hosts say the “time is right to pass on the sparkly baton”.
The Daily Star says former contestant and ex-BBC radio host Zoe Ball is tipped to be the new host for Strictly Come Dancing.
Daly and Winkleman “vowed to go a year ago” in a “secret pact to quit”, the Sun reports, writing the decision left the BBC “blindsided”.
Elsewhere, The Daily Telegraph leads with calls for Sir Keir Starmer to reinstate the Legacy Act after Soldier F was cleared of charges over the 1972 Bloody Sunday killings. The paper quotes criticism from the Ulster Unionist Party who likened it to a “show trial”. A government spokesman said it is committed to finding a way forward “that acknowledges the past, whilst supporting those who served their country”.
The Daily Mail also leads on the verdict which it calls a “witch hunt”. The paper quotes campaigners who warn more veterans “still face being dragged to court”, urging the government to unwind its commitments to repeal the Legacy Act.
King Charles and Pope Leo’s historic prayer at the Sistine Chapel leads the Daily Mirror. It’s the “first since Henry VIII’s split with Rome”, the paper writes, describing it as a “boost for Anglicans and Catholics hoping for closer Christian ties”.
India and China’s plans to pause fuel imports from Russia is the lead story in the Financial Times. The paper says it comes “in the wake of Donald Trump’s sharp escalation of US sanctions on Moscow”. The FT also features a large image of the King and Pope side by side calling their joint prayer a “bridge of faith”.
The Guardian reports on more budget leaks claiming Chancellor Rachel Reeves is considering raising income tax. It quotes sources “close to the process”. The paper says the chancellor “is understood to be nervous about the political consequences” as it would risk going against a previous party pledge.
The i Paper also reports the government’s income tax proposals saying it plans to fill a “£30bn shortfall” in the budget.
Grooming gang survivors “may have to wait until next year” for the national inquiry to begin, the Times reports. It says government sources have told the paper it could “take months” to find someone to lead it.
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