Claudia Winkleman's New BBC Chat Show to Feature Traitors-Inspired Set Design
Claudia Winkleman's highly anticipated new chat show on BBC One will reportedly feature a set that bears a striking resemblance to the iconic castle from The Traitors. According to insider reports, the production team is aiming to create a 'sexy private members' club' atmosphere, drawing direct inspiration from the aesthetic of Ardross Castle, which serves as the primary location for the hit reality competition series.
From Strictly to Spring 2026: Winkleman's Television Evolution
The beloved television presenter, who shocked fans last year by announcing her departure from Strictly Come Dancing alongside co-host Tess Daly, will not be absent from British screens for long. The Claudia Winkleman Show is scheduled to launch in Spring 2026 and will air on Friday nights on BBC One. The programme will feature Winkleman interviewing some of the biggest names from film, television, music, and beyond, with a live studio audience present for each recording.
A source close to the production revealed to The Sun: 'They are making it look and feel very different by bringing in elements which are now synonymous with Claudia - and that starts with the surroundings. The chat show set will have the same homely chic feel of the bar area or billiards room in the castle. But it will have that sexy private members' club vibe with a mix of modern and heritage rather than fully lean into the stately home vibe.'
Production Pedigree and Presenter Enthusiasm
The new chat show will be produced by So Television, the same production company behind the successful Graham Norton Show. This association suggests a commitment to high-quality entertainment programming with proven appeal to British audiences. Speaking about her new role, Claudia Winkleman expressed both excitement and characteristic humility: '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.'
Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment Commissioning at the BBC, praised Winkleman's unique talents: 'Claudia is a true national treasure - warm, witty and endlessly entertaining. She has an extraordinary ability to put people at ease and bring out the very best in them, whether they’re global superstars or members of the audience. It's very exciting that she will be fronting her very own show on the BBC, and we can't wait for viewers to join Claudia and her sofa full of stars.'
Following in Friday Night Footsteps
Graham Stuart, Managing Director of So Television and Executive Producer on the project, acknowledged the challenge of occupying the prestigious Friday night talk show slot previously dominated by Graham Norton: '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.'
Winkleman's departure from Strictly Come Dancing in 2025 marked the end of an era for the popular dance competition. She had initially presented the spin-off show It Takes Two before joining Tess Daly as co-host of the main programme from 2014 onwards. The pair announced their joint departure in a heartfelt statement, expressing their love for the show and its production team.
Sarah James, executive producer of Strictly Come Dancing, paid tribute to the departing hosts at the time: 'Tess and Claudia are quite simply the best duo of presenters in the business and we are so lucky to have had them as our Strictly anchors for so many years. They have championed countless celebrities on the dancefloor, led us all through two series during the pandemic but more importantly they have a deep and genuine bond with the show and every single member of the team. The Strictly Family is often referred to and these women are the matriarchs of that family.'
Winkleman and Daly presented their final episodes following series 23 and the 2025 Christmas special, making way for this new chapter in Winkleman's broadcasting career.
