Riding high after the runaway success of The Traitors, and looking forward to hosting her own chat show later this month, Claudia Winkleman still has a very bleak assessment of her TV future
Despite becoming one of the most sought-after presenters on TV following her massive success with The Traitors, Claudia Winkleman maintains a surprisingly fatalistic view of her career. Discussing her latest projects – presenting Crufts and hosting her own brand-new chat show – she describes them as potentially the last work she will ever do.
She told the Daily Mail: “I have two new things, but they’re only on for a very short time. And thank goodness they’re gonna fail. Then you’re not gonna see me on a Saturday night. That’s it. I’m done.”
She jokes that she is looking forward to disappearing into obscurity and spending her Saturday nights under a duvet with her beloved Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Skip.
There is, however, one upcoming Saturday evening that will be special for Claudia – the first episode of Strictly Come Dancing’s 24th series: “I can’t wait to watch it,” she enthused. “Tess and I are spending the weekend together and watching the first one. It’s diarised.”
Claudia described her exit from Strictly as an emotional experience: “My husband and children were there. So were Tess’s. We did our last piece to camera, then I went to my husband and sobbed. Really, really cried.”
She adds that she remains very fond of the show and the people who make it, but felt leaving was the right decision. “It was 20 years of my life. I know it was the right time. I will always be friendly with the team, we’re going out for dinner in a couple of weeks. It was emotional.”
Claudia revealed that she and Tess had agreed to end their long-running partnership on the show about a year in advance.
Showrunners are reportedly struggling to find a suitable replacement for the pair. BBC chief content officer Kate Phillips “has her heart set” on The One Show anchor Alex Jones, according to the Daily Mail, but Alex’s response has been lukewarm.
Other names mooted as potential Saturday night hosts include Bradley Walsh, Alan Carr, Holly Willoughby and Alison Hammond. However, a show insider noted that all could likely earn more elsewhere with less stress.
“Strictly is all-consuming for four months of the year,” the source said. “It takes over everything. Even Tess and Claudia found that – it was really hard. They’d be there at the crack of dawn until late at night on Fridays and Saturdays doing run-throughs and dress rehearsals.”
While the rumoured £400,000 paycheque is impressive, the pressure of hosting one of the biggest shows on British TV has made many potential contenders hesitate.
The search for Tess and Claudia’s replacement has already lasted for nearly a year, but the formal announcement is unlikely until early summer.
Despite her regularly fatalistic comments about her career, 53-year-old Claudia has already moved on with further seasons of The Traitors planned, alongside what could become regular stints on Crufts and her new chat show. Her on-screen partner, Tess Daly, 56, has yet to reveal her next move.
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