From Cambridge graduate to gravy granules: 10 facts about The Traitors host Claudia Winkleman
Claudia Winkleman returns to the castle for a special celebrity version of The Traitors! The new series comes to iPlayer and BBC One from 8 October 2025, with an extra-long first episode.
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While we wait for the drama to return (and of course Claudia's iconic outfits), here's 10 facts about the star presenter!
1. Claudia Winkleman is 53, was born in London, and has an MA in Art History from Cambridge University.
2. Claudia is the mother of 3 children, and while she tries to keep them out of the spotlight, she does admit to being an embarrassing mum. In an interview with the Radio Times, she admitted to once kissing and trying to lick her son's eyebrows in front of his friends.
3. Her half sister is a member of royalty! Claudia's half sister is Sophia Winkleman, who is married to Lord Frederick Windsor - Second cousin to King Charles III and 54th in line to the thrown. You may also know Sophia better from her acting role as Big Suze in Peep Show.
4. When appearing on BBC comedy panel show Would I Lie To You, Claudia admitted that she once used gravy granules as a substitute for fake tan while filming The Traitors.
5. ‘I don’t think so’, was Claudia's initial reaction to being told that she'd need to be in Scotland for 3 weeks to film The Traitors. But after watching the entire series of the Dutch version in one sitting, she practically begged them to let her present it.
6. Claudia received an MBE in the 2025 Birthday honours for her services to Broadcasting.
7. Although she's now known for her presenting roles, Claudia actually started her career as a travel journalist. She has written for The Sunday Times and The Independent, as well as regularly appearing on the BBC Holiday programme throughout the 90s.
8. Claudia's trademark fringe was once voted 'the most annoying haircut on TV’. Her iconic hair style has also led to her being ambassador for Head and Shoulders and she personally uses their £5 Supreme Purify & Volume Shampoo.
9. She's one of the BBC's best-known presenters, but we don't know how much she's paid. While the BBC annually publishes the names and salaries of its highest-earning stars, it does not include those hired by production companies. However, the Sun newspaper and other publications claim Claudia's own production company made over £1 million in 2024! It's also been reported that Claudia's net worth is nearly £9 million.
10. Claudia's role model is her mother Eve Pollard, a respected author, journalist, editor for several tabloid newspaper publications and founding editor-in-chief for Elle magazine in the US. Claudia's mother banned mirrors in her London childhood home, instilling in Claudia that personality and knowledge are more important than looks.
How to get Claudia's signature Traitors style
Never mind all the drama and backstabbing, it's Claudia's iconic outfits that make us Traitors faithfuls. Take a look at Claudia Winklemans Traitors Outfits from the last series and find out how to recreate her look yourself.
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