Hearts might have been broken when Claudia Winkleman announced she was leaving Strictly, but fans won't miss her for long. Her next project has just been announced, and it sounds like it’s set to be just as hilarious and star-studded as Strictly and The Traitors combined.
Taking over the prime-time Friday evening spot currently held by The Graham Norton Show on BBC One, The Claudia Winkleman Show will hit our screens in spring 2026 and, according to the BBC, see the Traitors host “welcome the biggest names from the worlds of film, television, music and beyond to her sofa for lively conversation with the help of a studio audience.”
While we’re, of course, excited for the host to pull out some fabulous outfits that might even rival Claudia Winkleman's best Traitors outfits, it’s not just her fashion that we’re itching to see on our screens again. Her brilliantly witty personality and hilarious sense of humour is what’s sure to brighten up our Friday nights – and she’s already given us a hint of what to expect from her presenting that’s made us want to watch her new show all the more.
In a statement released by the BBC, Claudia said: “I can’t quite believe it and I’m incredibly grateful to the BBC for this amazing opportunity. I'm obviously going to be awful, that goes without saying, but I’m over the moon they’re letting me try.”
Claudia has already had a bit of practice when it comes to hosting a chat show. Not only does she have plenty of experience under her belt as a guest herself, and of course she nailed hosting The Traitors and Strictly Come Dancing, but she also stepped in and presented an episode of The Graham Norton Show earlier this year in February.
When introducing the show, she showed off her classic, self-deprecating humour, and gave us a little taste of what we can expect from her upcoming chat show. “I am so sorry Graham isn’t here. To be honest nobody is more livid than me. That is the horrendous news. The brilliant news is that we have excellent guests.”
Spring might seem far off now, but before Claudia’s new chat show hits our screens, there are plenty of opportunities to catch her on the BBC. As well as season 4 of The Traitors beginning on New Year's Day, The Celebrity Traitors will follow later in the year.
For fans of The Graham Norton Show, don’t fret! While Claudia is taking over the show’s Friday night spot, this is only the case because The Graham Norton Show often has a break during the spring and summer months after concluding each series in February, and it is this fact that has left Claudia to fill the primetime slot.
Speaking about Claudia’s new chat show, Graham Stuart, who will be its Executive Producer, said, "Graham Norton has made the Friday night talk show slot a dazzling appointment to view. How can you possibly follow that? By booking a host equally as brilliant. So we have."
The show’s exact release date is yet to be announced, but we’ll be keeping a keen eye out to see exactly when we can expect Claudia to take to the chat show studio and fill our Friday nights with laughter.
