Claudia Winkleman Lands BBC Chat show following ‘Strictly’ Exit
A new late-night talk show hosted by Claudia Winkleman is set to debut on BBC One in spring 2026, the broadcaster announced today. The program, titled the Claudia Winkleman Show, will feature the popular presenter interviewing celebrities before a live studio audience.
Winkleman, 53, is currently the host of the hit BBC competition series The Traitors and its spin-off, The Celebrity Traitors. This new venture follows her and co-host Tess daly’s declaration in October that they would be stepping down from their roles on Strictly Come Dancing.
The format promises a “sofa full of stars,” according to the BBC, and will be produced by So Television – the company responsible for the long-running and award-winning The Graham Norton Show. Winkleman previously filled in for Norton on his show earlier this year while he was in Australia.
“I can’t quite believe it and I’m incredibly grateful to the BBC for this amazing prospect,” Winkleman stated. “I’m obviously going to be awful,that goes without saying,but I’m over the moon they’re letting me try.”
The move comes as the BBC recently secured a three-year deal with Norton and So television to produce three more series of The Graham Norton Show, beginning with the 34th series in 2026. This suggests the BBC is doubling down on the talk show format, and sees Winkleman as a key figure in its future entertainment lineup.
A senior official at the BBC highlighted Winkleman’s unique talent, stating she is a “true national treasure – warm, witty and endlessly entertaining,” possessing “an unusual ability to put people at ease.”
Winkleman’s career began in television and radio, with appearances on shows like Comic relief and The Great British Sewing Bee. She joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2004, initially hosting the companion show It Takes Two before moving to the main Sunday night results show alongside Daly. The pair then co-hosted the flagship Saturday night program from 2014, earning a Bafta TV Award for best entertainment programme in 2024. Winkleman herself received the best entertainment performance Bafta in 2023 for her work on The Traitors.
Details regarding celebrity guests and specific broadcast dates for The Claudia winkleman Show are yet to be announced. The program will air on BBC one.
Why: The BBC is expanding its late-night talk show offerings and sees Claudia Winkleman as a key figure in its future entertainment lineup,following the success of shows like The Graham Norton Show and The Traitors.
Who: Claudia Winkleman, 53, will host the new show, The Claudia Winkleman Show. So Television, the production company behind The Graham Norton Show, will produce the program. Tess Daly, Winkleman’s former Strictly Come Dancing co-host, is also involved as they both stepped down from the show together.
What: the BBC announced a new late-night talk show, The Claudia Winkleman Show, set to air on BBC One in spring 2026. The show will feature Winkleman interviewing celebrities in front of a live studio audience. This announcement came after Winkleman and Daly announced their departure from Strictly Come Dancing in October.
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