Graham Norton has revealed who will replace him on his iconic talk show as he takes an extended break from TV to head to Australia for a live tour.
The legendary host, 61, is travelling Down Under in February to present An Evening With Graham Norton, which will see the Irish presenter discuss hilarious stories and shed light on some career highlights, before taking questions from the audience.
A replacement has now been drafted in for his absence, with the host himself revealing the big name on his own The Graham Norton Show on Friday night.
Amid the enormous popularity of BBC‘s The Traitors, Claudia Winkleman will be heading from the Scottish Highlands to the talk show studio to take the hot seat.
The presenter, 52, responded to Graham’s announcement on his show by saying: ‘I apologise in advance!’
She added: ‘I am always very nervous that people aren’t watching and then incredibly grateful that they are. I feel about Traitors like people feel about an offspring – you’re so glad when people love it.
+6
View gallery
Graham Norton has revealed who will replace him on his iconic talk show as he takes an extended break from TV to head to Australia for a live tour
+6
View gallery
Amid the enormous popularity of BBC’s The Traitors, Claudia Winkleman will be heading from the Scottish Highlands to the talk show studio to take the hot seat
+6
View gallery
The host himself revealed the big name on his own The Graham Norton Show on Friday night
‘I can’t say much but the producers are so clever and there are lots of twists and turns coming.’
Joined by Myles Smith, Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson and Billy Porter on the couch during The Graham Norton Show, Claudia also responded to the considerable hype around her dress sense on The Traitors.
‘We always like to have a muse – for Strictly it has been Anita Dobson and this year it was Demis Roussos. For Traitors it’s Princess Anne meets Sarah Brightman. We’ve already decided on next year’s – I’ll be dressing as Gerald from Clarkson’s Farm!’
Graham will be visiting Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane and Melbourne throughout March during his tour of Australia.
Claudia hosts the latest season of The Traitors, which has featured as many twists and turns as ever following an incredibly successful second series, which built on the popularity of the debut season in 2022.
She hilariously revealed this week that her children ‘aren’t allowed’ to watch her on TV under ‘strict instructions’ in her household.
The Traitors host shares Jake, 21, Matilda, 18, and Arthur, 13, with her husband of 24 years, producer Kris Thykier.
In an interview with Grazia, the TV icon admitted: ‘They have not watched me. They’re not allowed. Nobody watches anything I do in my house, under strict instructions.
+6
View gallery
The presenter, 52, responded to Graham’s announcement on his show by saying: ‘I apologise in advance!’
+6
View gallery
Claudia hosts the latest season of The Traitors which has featured as many twists and turns as ever following an incredibly successful second series
She added: ‘Although they broke rank and watched Traitors and I was appalled.’
Claudia candidly added that the hardest part of being a parent is having to watch her children leave, with her eldest two having flown the nest to go to university.
‘It’s horrendous,’ she said, ‘I don’t understand why they don’t have that in the baby books, along with all the advice about breastfeeding and how to steam a butternut squash.’
Claudia married her film producer partner in 2000 and she has previously explained how she manages to balance her career with home life, quipping ‘my husband is a better parent than me’.
The TV personality also confessed her children beg her to give them some space during the 10 months of the year when she’s not busy presenting Strictly Come Dancing..
