The Claudia Winkleman Show has been canceled after just one season at the BBC, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
The British broadcaster and TV presenter had finally been given her own, Graham Norton-esque chat show following a real career resurgence with the wild success of The Traitors, which has made her more popular than ever with the British public. But on Thursday, Winkleman admitted she was “too nervous to enjoy” the program.
“I’m incredibly grateful to the BBC for giving me the opportunity, to the guests who agreed to come and chat to me and the production team who were simply excellent,” said Winkleman in a statement to THR.
“Sometimes you have to try something to see how it fits, and I realized I was just too nervous to enjoy it. Maybe one day I will give it another try, but for now I already have the best jobs in the world and absolutely love the shows I’m doing,” she added.
The series ran for a total of seven episodes on the public broadcaster from March, with her guests including Jeff Goldblum, Ralph Fiennes, Jennifer Saunders, Jamie Dornan, Chase Infiniti and Niall Horan. Though its debut attracted sizeable buzz in Britain, with fans keen to see if she could replicate Norton’s success, it earned a lukewarm reception from TV critics, many of whom said Winkleman was visibly anxious about the weighty program. That first episode drew an audience of around 1.4 to 1.5 million viewers — solid numbers on BBC One — but the overall ratings across the season were pretty inconsistent.
“Claudia’s warmth and quick wit made The Claudia Winkleman Show an absolute joy,” said Ed Havard, director of entertainment at the BBC. “Whilst we loved the show, we fully respect her decision and would like to thank Claudia and the brilliant team at So Television for bringing the series to screen on the BBC.”
He continued: “As the host of the country’s most-watched show, Claudia will be back on the BBC very soon when The Celebrity Traitors returns later this year, and we can’t wait to see what she has in store for the new band of celebs.”
It remains unclear if the BBC will find a way to revive the show. Winkleman, 54, is one of Britain’s most prolific TV presenters, having worked on the likes of Strictly Come Dancing, The Traitors and hosting the Saturday show on BBC Radio 2 from 2020 to 2024.
