Claudia Winkleman has stated that she was so surprised by the popularity of the first series of The Traitors that she did not want to make another.
The 51-year-old Strictly Come Dancing judge confessed she was ‘winded’ after the BBC reality show, which features 22 participants in a game of trickery and detection, swept the nation.
Claudia even begged bosses to end the show after one season overs fears a follow-up would fail to recapture it’s original ‘magic’.
She said: ‘The success of the first series literally winded us.
‘I said to lovely Studio Lambert (the production company) and the BBC, “Let’s just leave it. This thing happened, this magical thing happened. Enough!”
‘The head of the BBC said she wanted to take my temperature. So we went again but I’m nervous and weird about it.’
Reflecting on the show becoming a ratings smash, she said: ‘What happened never happens. It was overwhelming for all of us.
‘When Kathy Burke, who is a hero of mine, and Russell T Davies, when they tweeted, I was amazed with the whole experience.
‘It felt like some sort of magical dust and I just don’t want people’s expectations to be so high.’
The BBC revealed earlier this week the 22 Faithfuls and Traitors who will compete for £120,000 in a castle in the Scottish Highlands.
A poker champion, a clairvoyant, and a British Army engineer who characterised himself as a ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ character are among them.
While the show is likely to stick to the original structure, Claudia recently disclosed that a major storyline surprise had been scrapped.
Claudia was asked for indications on what’s new in a Q&A before of the show’s launch.
‘I wish I could,’ she replied. ‘I think I’m allowed to say the armoury has gone and now there’s a kitchen. That’s it!’
Claudia also teased that season 2 would feature more ‘epic’ challenges.
‘The missions this year are epic. The producers are so clever as the missions are incredibly important as it is a chance for the contestants to switch off from strategising and plotting,’ she shared.
‘They get fresh air, they run around, they work as a team. The scale this year is beyond.’
Faithfuls Meryl Williams, Aaron Evans, and Hannah Byczkowski triumphed in Series 1 of The Traitors, bringing home a cash reward of £101,050 after successfully eliminating ultimate Traitor Wilfred Webster in a nail-biting climax.
The Traitors returns to BBC One and iPlayer on January, 3 from 9pm.
