Claudia Winkleman reveals concerns about Traitors season 3
Claudia Winkleman worries about replicating the soaring success of The Traitors
What did you miss?
Claudia Winkleman has big reservations about The Traitors season three after it's phenomenal success, saying: "I'm extra reluctant to do the third."
When The Traitors returned for a second season, it took the TV world by storm. The stakes were higher than ever, especially in the nail-biting final. Crying Mollie stormed off when she found out Harry was a traitor after he befriended her over the season and persuaded her to stick with him to the final moment. Harry blew the UK away when he stole the £95,000 from under his friend's nose.
It really upped the ante from season one where traitor Wilf had escaped detection from the faithfuls right up until the final. Wilf had to recruit another traitor and he chose Kieran who later exposed him to the other faithfuls when they voted him out.
But the soaring success of the show hasn't stopped Winkleman from feeling nervous about a third season. Speaking to Richard Arnold, the TV host got very candid when talking about the next instalment of The Traitors ahead of filming.
What, how and why?
'I was reluctant to do the second and now I'm extra reluctant to do the third.'@ClaudiaWinkle you can't withhold a third season of The Traitors from us! pic.twitter.com/7bkphWp7Kd
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) April 26, 2024
She told him: "I was reluctant to do the second."
Arnold interjected to say: "You were reluctant and yet they turned into rock stars!"
Winkleman was quick to make her feelings clear about doing a third instalment of the reality season. She said: "Now I'm extra reluctant to do the third, I'm like: 'Guys just leave it. It did ok, leave it!' They said, 'No.' I told you. The head of the BBC said no, she leaned in and did my temperature."
Winkleman won her first BAFTA for presenting The Traitors and yet she has reservations about doing another season of the show.
Days before the second season returned to our screens, Winkleman said the same thing about the second season. The presenter admitted she nearly quit The Traitors. "I'm feeling nervous and weird about it," she told Heat magazine last year. "I originally said ‘let’s just leave it as this magical thing that happened’. Then the head of BBC took my temperature."
She further explained: "I just don’t want people’s expectations to be so high. The game is compelling and it taps into something I've been told all my life: 'Trust your gut'. But it turns out you can't. You know absolutely nothing. On Strictly Come Dancing I'm like a cheerleader."
Filming for season three will start later this year. The BBC has received more than 300,000 applications as the nation continues to be gripped by the show. In fact, the franchise has been so successful there will be a celebrity Traitors too.
Claudia Winkleman is in-demand
Last year, Winkleman rubbished claims that she is one of the most hardworking women in the TV world. She said at the Edinburgh TV Festival in September: "All I do is paint myself orange and read from an autocue."
The TV host also shared the harsh advice she received from a producer. She said: "My parents told me basically, ‘You just have to work incredibly hard and don’t be a turd’. And one of my old producers on Strictly: It Takes Two used to say two things in my earpiece before we started filming — ‘Don’t be sh**. It’s only telly’. And I always try."
Winkleman is one of the most in-demand presenters on the British showbiz circuit and she's juggling a lot. She has famously fronted Strictly Come Dancing since 2010 and she works alongside her friend Tess Daly. Plus she hosts reality show The Piano which has recently returned to our TVs for a second run.
Recently, Winkleman quit her job at BBC Radio 2 and Romesh Ranganathan took over from the presenter in March this year presenting the 10am-1pm slot on Saturdays. The Strictly Come Dancing host explained she was leaving the radio because she wanted to spend more time with her children.
At the time, she said: "I absolutely love Radio 2 and it’s been a privilege to host the Saturday morning show for three years. I will miss our amazing guests, our brilliant listeners and the one and only Sally Traffic.
"The truth is my children are growing up inordinately fast so I have decided to follow them around at home before they leave for good. I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who works on the show, I will continue to visit with badly made biscuits and will pester the bosses to present the odd special."
