Claudia Winkleman has opened up about a moment of doubt during a major TV project, admitting she told her husband “I think it’s over”
Kris Thykier and Claudia Winkleman(Image: Getty)
Claudia Winkleman has revealed she once feared a major TV opportunity would fall flat, admitting she told her husband “I think it’s over” during a moment of doubt about the project.
The presenter, best known for presenting Strictly Come Dancing alongside Tess Daly until the pair announced their shock departure last year, said she had serious reservations before taking on what would 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.
That gamble ultimately paid off. The UK version of The Traitors, which launched in 2022, quickly became a hit and has since enjoyed multiple successful seasons, alongside a celebrity spin-off. The show has played a major role in cementing Winkleman’s reputation as one of the UK’s most popular television figures.
Despite her success, she admitted that the experience still leaves her feeling uneasy in an unexpected way, saying: “It makes me want to scratch myself, but in a weird way. I am incredibly lucky.”
Away from the reality competition, Winkleman has continued to expand her career. 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 initially “didn’t like.”
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.”
Off-screen, she shares her life with her 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 entertainment industry.
Claudia and Tess spent 11 years leading Strictly Come Dancing, 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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