Traitors host Claudia Winkleman has opened up about a turbulent moment in her career, admitting she told her husband she was having doubts about a major TV project
Claudia Winkleman has admitted she thought major TV project would fail, admitting she told her husband “I think it’s over” during a moment of doubt about it.
The beloved presenter, who quit Strictly with Tess Daly last year, said she had serious reservations before taking on The Traitors. it would later become one of the most successful shows of her career.
Reflecting on the decision, she told Closer: “Traitors was not supposed to be what it was. I remember phoning my husband and saying, ‘I think it’s over’,” before explaining that she had been encouraged to watch an international version and take a chance.
It’s safe to say that the gamble ultimately paid off. The UK version of The Traitors, which launched in 2022, became a huge hit and has since enjoyed multiple successful seasons, alongside a celebrity spin-off.
Despite her success, it seems she still finds it all a bit surreal. Claudia admitted:: “It makes me want to scratch myself, but in a weird way. I am incredibly lucky.”
She recently fronted her own chat show, The Claudia Winkleman Show, on BBC One. While the programme marked a significant milestone, she acknowledged it received a mixed response and described the role as “nerve-wracking” and something she “didn’t like” at first.
Even with her high profile across British television, Winkleman is reluctant to embrace the idea of being famous. She insisted: “I don’t think I’m famous. I take the tube everywhere and I don’t get on singing the Strictly theme tune. I think it is a state of mind.”
Away from TV, she enjoys life with husband Kris Thykier and their three children: Jake, 23, Matilda, 19, and Arthur, 14. According to Winkleman, her family remain largely unfazed by her public recognition.
She joked that while she has encouraged them to lean into “nepo baby” labels, none of them are interested in following her into the showbiz world.
Claudia and Tess spent 11 years fronting Strictly becoming one of the show’s most recognisable and enduring presenting partnerships on Saturday night television. The presenter revealed to Closer how she and her former co-star are planning to cope when the latest series of the show launches on the BBC later this year.
“Tess and I have already planned it,” Claudia told Closer. “We’re having jacket potatoes and salmon. She’s coming to ours, she and [husband] Vern. I’m going to set her up with a nightie and we are going to watch and support.”
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