Though she’s been on TV for years on end, we can’t get enough of TV’s most trustworthy onscreeen talent, Claudia Winkleman. Far into a long TV tenure, we’re more excited than ever to watch her on The Traitors. Here’s why we think Winkleman is the ultimate reminder that consistency can be just as bold as instant impact.
Though New Year’s Eve always stirs up strong emotions, there was a palpable divide on Instagram this week. Some people posted photo collections of their highlights of 2025. Others shared slightly more pensive reflections, observing a year that they found challenging. And then there were those sat somewhere in the middle.
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What many of us shared, however, was our big highlight of New Year’s Day: sitting down to watch the new series of The Traitors. Which brings me onto my favourite person to talk about right now – Claudia Winkleman.
Winkleman’s trajectory is really fascinating to me. We’ve all loved her for years; she’s a welcome household name. She’s warm, funny and happy to poke fun at herself (even her Instagram profile pic is from the night she had that iconic make-up faux pas).
So how, when she already had it all, did Winkleman find herself at the centre of such a seismic rise? It’s not like she wasn’t already established. She and Tess Daly have hosted Strictly Come Dancing – the nation’s favourite countdown to Christmas – for years. Her impossibly shiny hair is famously down to Head and Shoulders, a brand we can comfortably afford, unlike many celebrity endorsements. The Traitors premiered in the UK some three years ago now, so surely the catapult to new heights of fame would have happened then?
Slowly, over time, something gently shifted. On the surface of it, absolutely nothing has changed. She’s the same woman we’ve always known. The dark, glossy fringe. The black smoky eyes. Concealer-coloured lipstick. Even her long-time stylist, Sinead McKeefry, has kept her in the same monochromatic silhouettes. But Winkleman’s consistency in being the lady we’ve always known and loved cultivated a deeper trust between us.
Trust is a currency that far exceeds any other. Popularity can come and go in waves, but trust doesn’t work like that; you either have it or you don’t. What Winkleman has shown us is that by having integrity and being consistent, big dreams can come true.
It’s interesting that this trust has been forged from hosting a show like The Traitors. It’s been a long time since something united the nation in such a big way; The Celebrity Traitors was the biggest series of 2025 across the UK, reaching a massive 15 million viewers. I think the reason we’re so fascinated by it is that, unfortunately, we’ve probably all had a ‘traitors’ experience along the way. You can think you know someone inside out, and then it changes, or something happens. Though it’s all a bit of fun and we love the juiciness of it, I think the real appeal of The Traitors is that we all have it in us to betray or be betrayed. That’s why we can’t get enough of it, and that’s why we need someone trustworthy – Winkleman – to steady the ship as we watch it all unfold.
Winkleman’s trajectory is really fascinating to me
I’m sure many of us can see ourselves in Winkleman and in her consistency. Trying our hardest, day in and day out, hoping for the pieces to fall together. Even when things didn’t seem like they could get better, there was even more joy along the way for Winkleman, and that’s why I’m so overjoyed to watch her new path unfold. Her brand-new talk show will premiere on BBC One in the spring, where she’ll no doubt win over her guests and audiences alike.
Let Claudia Winkleman be a living lesson to us all in the new year. Whether 2025 was good, bad, or somewhere in between, just staying focused and having faith can bring good fortune your way this year if you keep at it.