Claudia Winkleman has revealed she thought her career was "over" while filming the inaugural UK series of BBC's The Traitors, and admitted she initially turned down the presenting job before a television executive convinced her to watch the original Dutch version.
The presenter, who fronts the game show from the Scottish Highlands, opened up about her doubts in an interview with Harper's Bazaar magazine. The programme sees 22 participants, most of them designated as faithfuls, attempt to identify the traitors among them who eliminate players during the night in a bid to claim a cash prize.
Initial reluctance and a late-night text
Claudia confessed she originally declined the opportunity to present The Traitors until an executive persuaded her to watch the Dutch original. She told Harper's Bazaar: "I'm always in bed at 9pm with my book, but I started watching, and at midnight, I sent her a text saying, 'I'll buy my own ticket.'"
While shooting the first UK series, she harboured serious doubts about its potential. She recalled: "We had no idea. My husband rang to ask how the filming was going, and I said, 'I'm standing in the Highlands wearing red fingerless gloves and carrying a ceremonial pouch – I think it's over. But I've had a good run...'"
Runaway success and future plans
The show, produced by Studio Lambert Scotland, has been a viewing sensation for the BBC since its 2022 debut. Its most recent civilian series achieved a peak viewership of 9.6 million people, while the second instalment of its celebrity version saw its finale last Friday (October 30) reach a peak viewership of 11.6 million.
Claudia, who is set to collect the Television Icon award at the Harper's Bazaar Women of the Year Awards 2026, declared The Traitors and The Celebrity Traitors the "greatest honour" of her career. She added: "I find the whole thing fascinating. It's such a good game. I'm so into it, like I've never been on anything else. I live and breathe it."
In March, the BBC announced a three-year contract securing both UK versions of the programme on air until at least 2030, with a fresh series annually as part of the deal, available on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Kalpna Patel-Knight, head of entertainment commissioning at the BBC, stated at the time: "We are proud to remain faithful to The Traitors and The Celebrity Traitors until 2030 and wanted to say a big thank you to the outstanding team at Studio Lambert Scotland for bringing it to screen. We can't wait to share many more twists and turns with viewers all across the UK in the coming years."
