HOSTING The Traitors has turned the usually cuddly Claudia Winkleman rather treacherous.
The presenter, who is also the face of far gentler programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing and The Piano, has told before how seeing players lose the BBC murder-mystery is devastating.
In series one, she was horrified when she was forced to cull two players immediately during a cruel line-up task.
But these days, she reckons the more brutal the game, the better.
As she launches series three today, Claudia, 52, said: “The first meeting I ever had, they said I had to send two people home and I just refused.
“I said, ‘I can’t’. They just said I had to.
“Now I’m like, ‘What are we going to do?’
“This is what the game is. The faster they go, ‘Oh, OK,’ the better.”
Luckily for Claudia, the brilliant minds behind The Traitors have a whole new, brutal bag of tricks ready for the new cast after the second series was a ratings smash for the BBC.
An average of six million watched each episode live when it aired last January.
There are twists throughout, but they have to be different. They’ve come to play a game and I like the fact that they don’t know the way it’s going to go.
Claudia Winkleman
And record numbers have since streamed the series online and watched Traitor Harry Clark deceive his devoted pal Mollie Pearce in a jaw-dropping final round table.
But Claudia has teased this year viewers can expect even more shocking scenes.
She said: “There’s a round table moment where we were all shaking.
“I really cried when somebody was banished this year.
“I properly cried, in a way that I thought was probably a bit unhealthy.
“Two of them came out and they were also crying and the three of us cried together. We go in deep.
“There are twists throughout, but they have to be different. They’ve come to play a game and I like the fact that they don’t know the way it’s going to go.
“You’re going to like the end, I hope. It throws it all on its head.”
It doesn’t sound like Claudia and the brains behind the game, Studio Lambert, have let ratings success go to their heads. If anything, it is keeping Claudia up at night.
Chatting at a press launch last month in the week of the Strictly Come Dancing final, she said: “I woke up at 4am. We are totally terrified.
“Even on Saturday I was talking about people’s cha-chas but in my head I’m thinking: will they like The Traitors? You can’t possibly say it’s a phenomenon because it hasn’t gone out yet and I’m so superstitious. So far it has, but . . . I’m completely terrified.
“We don’t breathe until January 24 [the finale].”
The Traitors now has a clutch of awards to its name, including a Bafta gong for best reality show.
It also helped Claudia win her first presenting title, landing best entertainment performance at the 2023 Bafta TV ceremony.
But the modest host insists she personally brings little to the table — bar her stash of fake tan and some fake leather gloves.
She said: “I can’t take any of the credit. I just turn up, extra-orange.
“I am so orange. I apologise. I think it lessens, it eases off. They said, you have to have a murder outfit so we found some pleather gloves, they’re from Amazon for £2.99.”
Tonight, viewers will see the brave new players arrive at Ardross Castle, Inverness, who we introduce, above, and share their gameplans.
The collective, known as the Faithfuls, work together to build a prize pot while trying to fathom who among them are secretly the deadly Traitors.
Those baddies are tasked with remaining undetected while they “murder” their peers one by one.
This year’s cohort includes an Anglican priest, a former government diplomat and a window cleaner.
All will be trying to best last year’s champion, Harry, who was hailed for his exceptional gameplay which saw him walk away with £95,000.
Claudia said: “I love Harry. They’re not better this time . . . but they are as good. These people are extraordinary game-players.”
Now Claudia has hinted some contestants arrive with a complex game plan from the off.
Last year, mother and son Diane and Ross Carson hid their relationship for the duration of the game.
She added: “If you’re playing a game of deception, why not start at the beginning?”
Mentioning a few of this year’s cast, Claudia went on: “My conversation with Lisa, the priest, was absolutely my favourite. She’s phenomenal. They are all phenomenal. Yin is unbelievably intelligent.
“I would also, I imagine, be incredibly threatened by her because, yeah, she’s got a PhD in communication. She’s stellar.”
For now, Claudia will be hoping her sleepless nights have paid off and that fans love this eagerly anticipated third outing.
She added: “I’m in fingerless gloves, talking to an owl . . . will anybody like it?
“I just love making it so much. It is such an honour.
“You just don’t want people to be disappointed.”
“I’d go towards more the older people because I can’t trust younger people.
“I don’t know what it is but I don’t trust them. I’m more mates with my dad’s mates.”
“Finding the right people and seeing who can and can’t be pulled in whatever direction, depending on what my aims are.
“I’ve learnt to make people think that my ideas are their idea.”
“Stay behind, don’t go out too bold and just be very wary.
“You need friends, but you never know who will end up an enemy, so you need to keep that little bit of distance.”
“I would have people in the game that have my best interests at heart, and not be afraid to be strategic,.
“So shields will be a huge part of my strategy.”
“I like to think I have a game plan, but as soon as I’m in there, it’s going to be b*lls to the wall.
“I think I have been a bit of a ‘winger’ my entire life.”
“I am going to embrace my innocent demeanour.
“Also, I’m a very flirty person. If I see an opportunity where having some boys on my side would benefit me, I might do it.”
“Watch and wait, and listen more than you talk – at least initially.
“Take a genuine interest in others and do all your processing inside your head.”
“If I do have a game plan it’s going to have to change, so it will be ever-evolving.
“Ultimately my goal is to provide for my family and bring home the bacon.”
“To be a little bit airheaded and play on being older, and also to be a mother figure.
“You have to be prepared to change depending on the people around you.”
“The plan is to be as strategic as possible and just know when to shut up, because I can talk quite a lot.
“I’ve always believed that those who speak first lose.”
“Because of the luck element, I just think you’re best off going in and being yourself – you can’t fake yourself.
“It’s a fight or flight sort of thing.”
“I need to befriend the ones that I think might be the traitors and I’m going to have to think: Joe, just keep your cool, don’t say anything yet.
“Think about the long game.”
“Say things but not too much, which is going to be difficult for me because I can talk quite a bit.
” I think, going in, if I say I’m a priest I’m going to have a target on my back straight away.”
“I will be planting little seeds everywhere I go.
“You need to strike a fine balance between oversharing, and then not sharing enough.”
“To act dumb, but not too dumb, and to twist everything to make it seem like I’m really, really upset.
“But also, I think, I need to be good at the missions.”
“Make friends and show some level of compassion.
“But I am going to be careful about what I share and don’t share. Normally I can smell a rat.”
“I’m just going to be as friendly as I would be if I wasn’t going in to try to win money.
“I want my name brought up at the Round Table as little as possible.”
“Be observant, don’t trust anybody, and catalogue events as you go.
“I think I’ll play it a bit stupid and try to be the nice guy.”
“The bottom line is, you never really know until you’re there but I won’t be getting involved in any dramas, I definitely won’t be a ringleader.”
“Observing people as much as I possibly can, and not to accuse anyone full on, because if you accuse the wrong person you are at risk of getting murdered.”
“If I keep pretending to be someone I’m not then cracks will start showing.
“I’m a bit of a flirt sometimes so maybe a bit of flirting to get where I need to be.”
“I reckon figure out who the Traitor is and then try to become good friends with them.
“That would help get you all the way to the end.”
“I’ve just got to see how it goes.
“I think the reality of playing the game will be very different to thinking about playing the game.”
“I have a notebook with my pre-game thoughts. You can’t leave it all up to chance but people are unpredictable.
“There have to be some frameworks you’ll follow.”
“I’m going to be myself as much as possible and try to read people.
“I won’t be too loud, but I also won’t be completely quiet either.”
