Claudia Winkleman is preparing for a major career move, with plans for her own BBC chat show currently in advanced talks.
The series is set to be produced by So Television, the same company behind The Graham Norton Show, in what looks to be the BBC’s latest attempt to secure its next big entertainment hit.
According to Deadline, the project would see Winkleman fronting her own primetime talk show during periods when Graham Norton’s show is off-air, ensuring there’s no competition between the two BBC staples.
The format is expected to carry the same mix of celebrity interviews and playful humour that has made Winkleman one of the UK’s most distinctive presenters.
The timing of the development is striking: it comes just as Winkleman and Tess Daly announced they will be stepping away from Strictly Come Dancing after this year’s series — a move that reportedly caught BBC executives off guard.
Sources close to production said the broadcaster was ‘blindsided’ by the pair’s social media announcement, noting it as a reminder of the ‘presenter power’ the duo now hold.
The show comes from the producers of The Graham Norton Show (Picture: PA Wire)
Daly, 56, has been on the BBC reality series for 21 years since the show started in 2004, with the Winkleman joining her on the ballroom floor in 2011 – truly marking the end of an era.
Fans immediately wondered why the pair had decided to depart,with one insider telling the Daily Mail that with Winkleman’s career ‘moving up a level’, she is reportedly ready to explore opportunities outside of Strictly.
A chat show like Norton’s would certainly be a new major opportunity for the star.
Winkleman has already tested the waters of the late-night chat format. Earlier this year, she filled in for Norton while he was on break from his BBC duties, winning praise for her relaxed, self-deprecating hosting style.
Opening her first episode, she joked, ‘To be honest, nobody is more livid than me,’ in reference to temporarily taking over Norton’s chair.
