EXCLUSIVE: Claudia Winkleman is poised to land her own BBC chat show — and Deadline can reveal it will be made by the company behind The Graham Norton Show.
The Daily Mail first reported on the talk show plans on Friday, but Deadline can now confirm that the series is set to be produced by So Television.
A deal for the chat show has not yet been finalized, though talks are said to be at an advanced stage. The news comes hours after Winkleman and Tess Daly dropped a glitterball bombshell about their plans to quit Strictly Come Dancing this year.
Sources told Deadline that Winkleman and Daly’s social media announcement about their Strictly exit “blindsided” the BBC, which did not release a statement on the matter until two hours later. One person said it spoke to the “presenter power” the duo wield.
Winkleman, who also hosts The Traitors, earned her chat show stripes by stepping in for Norton earlier this year when the Irish presenter was on a break from his BBC duties. “To be honest, nobody is more livid than me,” Winkleman joked when opening the show.
The idea is that Winkleman’s series will broadcast when The Graham Norton Show is off-air, meaning there will be no clashes between the shows and they will not be competing for guests. The BBC recently renewed The Graham Norton Show for another three years, while its recent run of episodes has boasted eye-catching bookings, including Taylor Swift.
So Television was founded by Norton and business partner Graham Stuart. The company, which also made Netflix comedy special Hannah Gadsby’s Gender Agenda, is owned by ITV Studios.
The BBC declined to comment.
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