Claudia Winkleman: I am too thick to take part in Celebrity Traitors

Claudia Winkleman has said she is “too thick” to take part in the Celebrity Traitors.

The TV presenter will return to screens on Thursday when a new batch of famous faces enter the Scottish castle.

Actors Michael Sheen and Richard E Grant, supermodel Jerry Hall, presenter Maya Jama and comedians Rob Beckett, Romesh Ranganathan and James Acaster are among the line-up, alongside Little Mix singer Leigh-Anne Pinnock, musician James Blunt and The Last Of Us star Bella Ramsey.

However, Winkleman said she would never want to be among their number.

Ed Gamble and Claudia Winkleman at the launch of season two of BBC’s Celebrity Traitors (Ian West/PA)

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She said: “I’m too thick. I mustn’t play it in public. I must not, thank you so much.

“I’m just being honest. I could have come up with a schmoozier (answer) but no.

“It’s a privilege to play that game and to be at the round table, but I think I would just be too awful at it.”

The game follows the celebrity contestants – the majority of whom are known as faithfuls – as they try to seek out the murderous traitors among them, who kill off players in the middle of the night.

The first celebrity spin-off was won by traitor Alan Carr, was a ratings hit and won a slew of awards.

Executive producer Sarah Fay said she was “chuffed” it was such a hit and hopes the second outing lives up to the past success and even ups the ante.

She said: “We never take for granted that the audience is always going to come to it.

“So (the first series) felt a little bit like Monopoly money, it just didn’t seem real, but obviously we’re so, so chuffed.”

Claudia Winkleman (Ian West/PA)

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She continued: “But going into the series, we wanted to make sure it felt it wasn’t comparable and we could bring a new freshness to it.

“A new cast could bring something to it, whether that’s the dynamics of Rob and Romesh, with a celebrity duo with new twists, new turns.

“We’re always looking at ways to up the ante and make it feel like compelling viewing.”

The Celebrity Traitors begins on Thursday October 1 at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.