Comedian Alan Carr is reportedly no longer in contention to become the new host of Strictly Come Dancing. The presenter, fresh from his victory on The Celebrity Traitors last month, is expected to be on tour when Strictly returns in 2027.

He had been rumoured to replace either Tess Daly or Claudia Winkleman, who bowed out from the BBC show after last week's Christmas special. Broadcasters are reportedly "gutted" that they couldn't secure Carr, 49, whose popularity has skyrocketed since his win on The Celebrity Traitors. However, it appears that the comedian can't reschedule his 2027 tour, many dates of which have already sold out. A BBC insider revealed: "Alan is out of the Golden Ten possible hosts and won't be taking part in the tests the BBC are gutted. He was their favourite to take on one of the positions but he's spoken with the BBC and basically he cannot move his tour. The dates which are scheduled for 2027 are not able to be rearranged and Alan has had to choose. The BBC understand his position but they are hugely disappointed."

The BBC is now thought to be eyeing 37-year-old Rylan Clark, former presenter of sister programme It Takes Two on BBC Two. Clark, a regular on This Morning, is currently 5/2 with some bookmakers to replace either Daly or Winkleman, reports the Mirror.

The source told the press: "They thought Alan would be such a great choice for the job. Rylan has now replaced Alan as one of their top choices, it will come down to how Rylan gets on in the chemistry tests."

Alan, whose comedy chat show Alan Carr: Chatty Man concluded in 2016 after a seven-year run, has 90 dates lined up for his UK and Ireland tour in 2027, with performances scheduled in London, Cardiff, Belfast and Edinburgh. However, the tour's second leg kicks off in September and continues through to November, creating a potential scheduling conflict with Strictly.

Last week, Alan was among three frontrunners at 3/1 odds, alongside Bradley Walsh and Alex Jones. Reports suggest that potential candidates will undergo a series of partner-swap chemistry tests, as BBC bosses are determined to identify the ideal on-screen partnership.

A source previously told the press: "Replacing Claudia and Tess is a mammoth task but the BBC have whittled down the talent to ten people.

"As well as Bradley, Alex and Alan, Rylan Clark, Rob Rinder, Zoe Ball, and Holly Willoughby will be at the chemistry day. Amanda Holden, Alison Hammond, and Angela Scanlon have made the cut too."