The Traitors host Claudia Winkleman has explained why she was "scared" about the prospect of a celebrity version, with the presenter revealing she was eventually convinced of the idea by producers.
The hit BBC series will return next month with its first celebrity edition, with the stacked cast including Stephen Fry, Clare Balding, Alan Carr, Nick Mohammed, Celia Imrie, Lucy Beaumont and Kate Garraway.
Winkleman will once again preside over proceedings as the treacherous game takes many twists and turns, though the host admitted that she harboured some trepidation about the concept.
"I was scared," said Winkleman. "Only because I’m in love with this show and I wanted to keep it small. Once a year or maybe once every two years felt like enough. My bosses, thank goodness, ignored everything I said."
While Winkleman confessed that she had some doubts about whether a celebrity edition of the show was needed, the presenter explained that all those worries dissipated when it came to filming.
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"It’s an absolute honour [to host]. I could barely breathe when I saw them all in the Highlands. I’m such a fan of every single one of them. The whole team were just in awe, it was hard not to scream 'you’re here!'"
"I think it was scarier [to host the celebrity version as opposed to the regular series]," she added. "Because all I wanted to do was chat to them and make them like me. But of course, I have to be extremely unlikable. It was tricky!
"The biggest challenge was being strict. All I wanted to do was chat and be friendly but my role is aloof and grumpy. I found it hard not to just sit down with them and have a cup of tea."
Related: The Traitors confirms celebrity cast for "absolute blast" live special "filled with chaos"
In addition to the aforementioned stars, the cast for The Celebrity Traitors includes Cat Burns, Charlotte Church, David Olusoga, Joe Marler, Joe Wilkinson, Jonathan Ross, Mark Bonnar, Niko Omilana, Paloma Faith, Ruth Codd, Tameka Empson and Tom Daley.
With the launch set to happen very soon, it was recently announced that the opening episode would be a bumper 70-minute instalment, with each part set to air on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8 October.
The Traitors series 1-3 are streaming on BBC iPlayer. The Celebrity Traitors will premiere on 8 October.
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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
