Claudia Winkleman reveals why she'd never appear on Celebrity Traitors
Winkleman: why she'd never appear on Celebrity Traitors

Claudia Winkleman has revealed why she would never take part as a contestant in the Celebrity Traitors.

The TV presenter will return to screens today when a new batch of famous faces enter the Scottish castle.

Winkleman's reason for declining

Actors Michael Sheen and Richard E Grant, supermodel Jerry Hall, presenter Maya Jama and comedians Rob Beckett, Romesh Ranganathan and James Acaster are among the line-up, alongside Little Mix singer Leigh-Anne Pinnock, musician James Blunt and The Last Of Us star Bella Ramsey.

However, Winkleman said she would never want to be among their number.

Revealing why, she said: “I’m too thick. I mustn’t play it in public. I must not, thank you so much.

“I’m just being honest. I could have come up with a schmoozier (answer) but no.

“It’s a privilege to play that game and to be at the round table, but I think I would just be too awful at it.”

Celebrity spin-off success

The game follows the celebrity contestants – the majority of whom are known as faithfuls – as they try to seek out the murderous traitors among them, who kill off players in the middle of the night.

The first celebrity spin-off was won by traitor Alan Carr, was a ratings hit and won a slew of awards.

Executive producer Sarah Fay said she was “chuffed” it was such a hit and hopes the second outing lives up to the past success and even ups the ante.

She said: “We never take for granted that the audience is always going to come to it.

“So (the first series) felt a little bit like Monopoly money, it just didn’t seem real, but obviously we’re so, so chuffed.”

She continued: “But going into the series, we wanted to make sure it felt it wasn’t comparable and we could bring a new freshness to it.

“A new cast could bring something to it, whether that’s the dynamics of Rob and Romesh, with a celebrity duo with new twists, new turns.

“We’re always looking at ways to up the ante and make it feel like compelling viewing.”

The Celebrity Traitors begins on Thursday October 1 at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.