The Traitors host Claudia Winkleman has included a secret nod to her famous dad in the popular reality competition, which is currently airing its third series on BBC One
TV host Claudia Winkleman brings her signature mischievous flair to the latest series of BBC’s The Traitors. While guiding 22 eager contestants through their paces as they compete for the £100,000 prize, Claudia has added a bit of personal touch to the show that sharp-eyed viewers might just catch.
Joined by a sidekick owl in the opening episode, Claudia revealed that she named the feathered friend after her father, journalist Barry Winkleman, despite the handler’s insistence on another name. “The owl is called Barry. I named him Barry as my dad’s called Barry,” Claudia said. “The handler keeps saying his name is Sage but I’m calling him Barry.”
At 52, Claudia is the offspring of renowned publisher Barry and former Sunday Express editor Eve Pollard. Her parents split seven years into their marriage in 1975.
Her father Barry remarried Cindy Black, a children’s author, who gave birth to actress and royal Sophie Winkleman in 1980. Meanwhile, Eve tied the knot with Nicholas Lloyd, editor of Daily Express, in 1979 and later welcomed their son Oliver.
Claudia Winkleman, the host of The Traitors, has embraced her new role in the series, even though she admitted to getting emotional behind the scenes. “You don’t see it, thank God, but I really cried when somebody was banished this year,” she confessed.
“I properly cried — it was probably a bit unhealthy. Two of the contestants came out and the three of us were just crying together.”
“The contestants are like my children, who I’m sometimes incredibly mean to,” she added. “I love them all. I consider them my children and they call me Auntie Claude or even Mummy by the end.”
Claudia also revealed that she almost turned down The Traitors before its first series due to a scheduling conflict with her daughter Matilda’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,’” Claudia shared.
Claudia, who is married to film producer Kris Thykier, 52, and mother to Jake, 21, Matilda, 18, and Arthur, 13, 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 almost gave The Traitors a miss, but after getting hooked on the Dutch original, she couldn’t help but dive in. She revealed, “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.’”