Strictly’s Claudia: ‘Tess keeps secrets from me’
Why show bosses keep host Claudia strictly in the dark
Hurrah! Our favourite time of the year has arrived – the launch of the new series of Strictly Come Dancing. After announcing all 15 celebrities, this weekend we will discover who they’ll be paired with. But there’s one person who still hasn’t a clue. Host Claudia Winkleman, 45, who works alongside Tess Daly, 48, tells us why the show bosses keep her in the dark as much as us…
Strictly is back! Did you know the line-up in advance?
I never know anything because when they tell me a secret, or the contestants’ names before the press, I always tell everybody!
So you spill the beans?
When I did It Takes Two, they were like, ‘Claudia, we are going to tell you the names, it is quite serious. Don’t tell anyone.’ I said, ‘Of course. I am so good at secrets. You can rely on me.’ I got in the lift with this cool young guy, and he said, ‘Are you doing the Strictly sister show? Do you know who is dancing?’ And I told him the whole list. He went to the producers and said, ‘She is really leaky.’ On so many levels... Also, they won’t tell me the winner until Tess has said the name! She is told because she is grown up and brilliant and is a professional. If you ever see the shot when Tess says the name, I am like this [open-mouthed]. So don’t tell me anything. Ever.
Do you still love working as much as you always have?
I feel so lucky. I don’t know how this happened. I can’t find a bad thing to say about it. I love the fact that I do Radio 2 and I can talk about the Bee Gees. I like the fact I can get all excited in sequins, and the best thing is having the time at home. I like to take the children to school and that feels like a magical secret. I know all my girlfriends leave the house at 8am and come back at 8pm, so I feel incredibly blessed.
Do you worry about growing older?
I could not give a monkey’s. I love it. It is my favourite thing. There will come a point when I will say, ‘I’d just
like to stay here please, so I can watch my children and friends and everything else.’ Also, now I’m older I am brave enough to say that I hate parties. There is a lot of stuff I now don’t do. When people say, ‘You want to come over Thursday? We can make nachos and talk about Zumba?’ I’m like, ‘No. There’s nothing about that night that I want to do.’ That’s getting old.
Do you ever get angry?
I try not to get angry. I don’t like unkindness. We are only here for four minutes, so you might as well smile and make someone a cup of tea.