Claudia Winkleman says being 'mean' to Traitors contestants made her 'very uncomfortable'

Claudia Winkleman has admitted she felt 'very uncomfortable' as she fronted new reality game show The Traitors.

The TV presenter, 50, appeared on The Graham Norton Show and opened up about the challenges of working on her new series where she has to be 'mean' to contestants on the UK spin-off of the Dutch original version.

As the name suggest the show takes on a sinister twist as contestants selected by Claudia to be 'The Traitors', before they have to secretly plot to 'murder' their fellow players without their knowledge each day and try to steal the prize money.

The Traitors is a game show like no other but host Claudia admits at times it's 'made her uncomfortable' during filming (BBC/Studio Lambert Associates/Llara Plaza)

Joining Graham Norton on his name sake show which airs tonight (Friday), Claudia cryptically said: ''I am not always mean but I did have to do something at the beginning that I felt very uncomfortable with.

''I loved them all but I knew too much about everyone so had to stay separate from them all.''

The Strictly presenter further told how she initially knocked back the show before becoming hooked after watching the original Dutch version and back tracking on the offer.

Claudia said she was 'all in' when she found out it was filmed in the Scottish Highlands and she could wear 'tweed' (BBC/Studio Lambert Scotland/Mark Mainz)

Claudia appears on The Graham Norton's Show to share what the show has to offer (BBC/Studio Lambert Associates/Llara Plaza)

She said: ''I initially said no but then watched the Dutch version and I wept. I loved it so much and said, 'Please let me do it.' I was so lucky to do it.''

Once Claudia has secretly selected who is to be The Traitors. The rest of the players are known as 'The Faithful' and none of The Faithful know who The Traitors are.

Players are then eliminated when The Traitors meet in secret and decide to 'murder' one of The Faithful. The next morning, when the group meet for breakfast, the 'murdered' player does not appear.

Kristin Scott Thomas, George Takei, Claudia Winkleman, Jamie Oliver, Graham Norton and First Aid Kit during the filming for the Graham Norton Show (PA)

Later in the day, all the players then have to meet at the 'Round Table' and 'banish' the player they suspect of being a Traitor.

The person they choose then reveals if they are a Traitor or a Faithful before being eliminated from the show.

At the end of the game, the few remaining players share the prize pot if they are all Faithful, but if there is still a Traitor among them, the Traitor takes all the £120,000 prize money.

Claudia Winkleman, did however commit to the show adding: “I’m obsessed by psychological games and I couldn’t stop watching the Dutch version of the show. The fact that the BBC version is set in a castle in Scotland and the producers want me to wear tweed meant I was all in.”

The Graham Norton Show airs on BBC One on Friday December 2, 10.40pm.