The Traitors host Claudia Winkleman in tears in unaired moment on show
The Traitors host Claudia Winkleman has opened up about the ongoing series of the BBC hit show - and how one moment behind-the-scenes reduced her to tears. The reality series is back for series three, with Claudia donning her classic tweed look for more devious gameplay at the Scottish castle.
Despite channelling an icy alter ego for the show, Claudia admitted that she finds it hard to contain her motherly warmth. "The contestants are like my children, who I’m sometimes incredibly mean to," she shared affectionately with The Mirror's We Love TV. "I love them all. I consider them my children and they call me Auntie Claude or even Mummy by the end.
Despite her typically cool on-camera presence, an emotional Claudia revealed that she couldn't help breaking down off-air following one contestant's departure. "You don’t see it, thank God, but I really cried when somebody was banished this year," she confided. "I properly cried — it was probably a bit unhealthy. Two of the contestants came out and the three of us were just crying together."
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Claudia Winkleman revealed she still keeps in touch with the contestants from The Traitors after filming their series. "I was texting Maddy Smedley from series one the other day. And I sent a message to Charlotte Chilton’s aunt. Matt Harris from series one wanted to show me his new skill — I thought that sounded like code for something else but it was skateboarding," she said with a smile.
"I stay in touch with all of them because I’m so grateful to them for playing, and for playing the way they do. The series three contestants are extraordinary game players."
Having hosted two series and with another in progress, Claudia has become like a TV mum to over 66 contestants, despite initially declining the role due to family commitments. The mother-of-three, who is married to film producer Kris Thykier, 52, and has children Jake, 21, Matilda, 18, and Arthur, 13, had reservations about taking on the job as it coincided with her daughter's GCSEs.
"They said, ‘It’s three weeks in Scotland.’ I’ve been to the countryside twice — I just never leave London. And I was like, ‘Well, thank you so much, but, like, no,’" she previously explained. "I just said, ‘No, I can’t because my daughter’s doing GCSEs and I like to lick the little one and, I mean, my big one is older but still, I just like to follow him around.’".
Claudia Winkleman had second thoughts about hosting The Traitors, but after getting hooked on the Dutch version, she couldn't resist. "I watched the Dutch version and nobody [at home] got fed. I didn’t brush my teeth. I was so obsessed that I had to phone [BBC Director of Unscripted] Kate Phillips and say, ‘I’ve booked a train, I’m going to Scotland now.’"
