Claudia Winkleman has revealed she initially turned down the job to host The Traitors and doubted the show's prospects while filming the first UK series, which has since become a ratings hit for the BBC.
The presenter told Harper's Bazaar magazine that a TV executive convinced her to watch the original Dutch version of the show. "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,'" she said.
Doubts During Filming
Set in the Highlands, the game show follows 22 contestants, most of whom are known as faithfuls, as they try to identify the murderous traitors among them who eliminate players at night to win a cash prize. The programme, made by Studio Lambert Scotland, has been a ratings success since it launched in 2022, with its last civilian season recording a peak audience of 9.6 million people.
Winkleman, a former Strictly Come Dancing host, shared her surprise at the show's success, having doubted the phenomenon it would become while filming the first UK series. She said: "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…'"
Career Recognition and Future Plans
Winkleman, who will receive the Television Icon award at the Harper's Bazaar Women of the Year Awards 2026, is now as gripped as the rest of the nation, calling 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."
The second run of the celebrity spin-off saw its final episode last Friday (October 30) record a peak audience of 11.6 million. In March, the BBC confirmed a three-year deal keeping both UK versions of the show on air until at least 2030, with a new series each year available on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Kalpna Patel-Knight, head of entertainment commissioning at the BBC, said 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."
