CLAUDIA WINKLEMAN SET FOR OWN BBC CHATSHOW FOLLOWING STRICTLY EXIT

Three years after a pilot, the BBC are closing in on a deal for Claudia Winkleman to host her own BBC chatshow, according to reports.

The series will be produced by Graham Norton's SO Television, who produced the pilot in 2022. It follows Claudia's guest stint covering for The Graham Norton Show earlier this year. It also follows the news this week that Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly are to step down as hosts of Strictly Come Dancing.

Meanwhile, the BBC have agreed a three-year deal with Graham Norton and So Television to produce three more series of The Graham Norton Show for iPlayer and BBC One. The three-series deal starts with series 34 which will air in 2026.

The multi-award-winning chat show remains one of the nation’s favourite television programmes and continues to attract A-list stars and millions of loyal viewers. The latest series averaged 2.9M per ep across the run, retaining its status as the biggest chat show in the market.

The Graham Norton Show launched on BBC Two in 2007 where it ran for two series before moving to BBC One where it has remained a cornerstone of the BBC’s Friday night line-up. Since 2007 the show has won multiple awards including BAFTA TV Awards, National Television Awards, British Comedy Awards, RTS Television Awards and more.

Graham Norton says: “Getting to host my own chat show is a huge pleasure as well as a privilege. I’m thrilled that the BBC are allowing me to continue for another three years. The whole team is looking forward to bringing the world’s brightest stars into the homes of the great British public!”

Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment says: “We are thrilled that The Graham Norton Show will remain a flagship part of the BBC’s entertainment offering for another three series. Graham sets the gold standard for celebrity interviews and continues to attract the best global talent to his sofa, it’s no wonder that the show remains so beloved by our audiences.”

Graham Stuart, Managing Director So Television says: “We began the Norton Talk Show journey in 1998 and have never felt like stopping. So happy the BBC feel the same way.”

The Graham Norton Show is a So Television production for BBC One and iPlayer.