On Friday, 13 March at 10.40pm the first new chat show launched by the BBC in years hits screens as former Strictly Come Dancing host Claudia Winkleman kicks off a run of her eponymous programme. There has been a huge buzz around the 54-year-old mum of three's debut after she stood in for Graham Norton on his long running show for one episode in February 2025.
Claudia is hugely likeable and currently riding high on the ongoing success of The Traitors. She is also a warm and witty interviewer - a skill she honed over her time in the "Clauditorium" on Strictly. Therefore this show should have been a breath of fresh air. Sadly, a glance at the guest list proved it is just the same old formula in different package. Mind you we should have expected this. It comes from So Television - the same company which makes Graham's show. They have operated a "if it ain't broke don't fix it" policy for years, continually reeling out the same old guests flogging their wares.
The same now appears to be true of Claudia's show. In the original blurb said she would welcome the biggest names from the worlds of film, television, music and beyond to her sofa for lively conversation with the help of a studio audience.
What is also true is that, much like Graham's guests, they are all flogging something - it's not so much a chat show as an advert for their wares, which somehow manages to get around the BBC restrictions on blatant advertising. While I'm sure they are all interesting people they have also all appeared on so many shows at this stage we've heard all their stories.
Much like Graham's show this will also be recorded well in advance giving them plenty of opportunity to edit out any foibles - or as we showbiz journalists call them "the interesting bits".
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This was a huge opportunity to bring us a fresh new show. Claudia is an incredibly skilled live presenter so would be able to handle it and it could have been broadcast live or follow Question Time's lead and record as live and broadcast an hour later. That would maintain a sense of excitement and urgency yet allow for a slight edit.
Instead, they are churning out a week old show with even older stories and zero chance of anything out of the ordinary happening.
When people look back on classic chat shows hosted by the likes of Terry Wogan, Michael Parkinson and Russell Harty, they remember those left of centre moments when things went a bit awry. Not the perfectly crafted moments edited to within an inch of their lives to resemble every other bland perfectly crafted moment.
I had very high hopes for this show. I thought we were finally getting an edgy, female fronted talk show. But I am already underwhelmed and it hasn't even started yet.
