Alison Hammond confirms she WAS approached by Strictly bosses to host the show - but turned them down as she is 'too busy'

It is one of the most sought-after jobs in television – a primetime crown jewel watched by millions every weekend.

But Alison Hammond has turned down the cha-cha-challenge of presenting Strictly Come Dancing, saying she is already too busy.

The This Morning and Great British Bake Off presenter, 51, discussed the show as speculation grows over who will replace long-standing hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.

She said: 'I have, actually [been approached]. You didn't expect that answer, did you? I can't lie, I'm incapable.

'I'm so busy, babes, that I'm not sure it's going to happen. It's unrealistic. I'm so happy they considered me but, like Traitors, I can't do it because everything clashes.'

Speaking to Radio Times, she added: 'I would have loved to have done it – anybody that gets it, they're going to land the perfect job. But I'm so happy with everything I've got. What would I drop to do Strictly?'

It comes at a pivotal moment for the TV juggernaut, which is facing a major shake-up both on and off screen.

In October, Ms Daly, 57, and Ms Winkleman, 54, confirmed they would step down from their presenting roles, triggering a frenzy of ¬speculation over who might inherit what is regarded as the hottest job in television.

A host of high-profile names have since been linked to the position, including Zoe Ball, 55, Rylan Clark, 37, Emma Willis, 50, and Miranda Hart, 53. 

Meanwhile, Amanda Holden, 55, ruled herself out after revealing that she and Alan Carr, 49, had declined to focus on other projects.

Ms Hammond is no stranger to the Strictly ballroom, having competed on the show in 2014 alongside Aljaz Skorjanec, 36, finishing tenth.

The rumours come as the programme also undergoes a dramatic overhaul behind the scenes. 

Last month, five professional dancers – including Karen Hauer, 43, Nadiya Bychkova, 36, and Gorka Marquez, 35 – were dropped from the series in what has been described as a 'bloodbath' as BBC bosses attempt to refresh the show.

It comes after sources claimed that Strictly bosses judge some pros' following on TikTok when decided which stars would be axed in the show's mass cull.

Sources said that bosses have chosen to keep pros with a bigger online following in a desperate bid to draw in younger viewers.

Now it's been claimed those with bigger online followings have been chosen over dancers who are not so TikTok-friendly. 

One example appears to be axed Nadiya Bychkova who boasts 19,000 followers, while Dianne Buswell, also 36, with 966,000 followers has kept her place in the line-up.

Karen, who was Strictly's longest-serving female dancer, is a similar story with her 9,000 followers while safe newcomer Alexis has a whopping 190,000.