Claudia Winkleman to host new chat show on BBC One

The Traitors and former Strictly Come Dancing host Claudia Winkleman is to host her own chat show on BBC One and iPlayer, in spring 2026.

The BBC announcement, which confirms recent industry reports the show was in the pipeline, adds it will be produced by So Television, which is also behind Graham Norton's award-winning chat show.

"I can't quite believe it and I'm incredibly grateful to the BBC for this amazing opportunity," Winkleman said. "I'm obviously going to be awful, that goes without saying, but I'm over the moon they're letting me try."

The new role follows her departure from Strictly Come Dancing alongside co-host Tess Daly, having presented it together for more than a decade.

Winkleman's chat show will "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", the BBC said.

"Claudia is a true national treasure - warm, witty and endlessly entertaining," said the corporation's head of entertainment commissioning, Kalpna Patel-Knight.

"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."

So Television's managing director, Graham Stuart, said Winkleman matched Norton's ability to make 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 BBC said further details on the show and when it would be broadcast would be "announced in due course".

'I'm speechless'

Winkleman, who's also hosting the upcoming series of BBC One's The Traitors on 1 January, stepped in for Norton on an episode of his chat show in Februrary this year.

She also replaced him as the host of BBC Radio 2's Saturday morning show in February 2021, which she presented for just under three years.

Earlier this month, Winkleman was recognised for her services to broadcasting at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, where she was made an MBE by King Charles III.

She was joined by family - including her mother, journalist Eve Pollard - at the royal residence.

Following the event, the presenter posted on Instagram: "An incredible morning and an enormous honour. I'm speechless."