Claudia Winkleman's short-lived chat show addressed by Graham Norton: "She did not enjoy it"

Graham Norton has opened up about the cancellation of Claudia Winkleman's short-lived chat show. The Claudia Winkleman Show debuted in March, but it was soon announced that it would not return for a second season, with the host later confirming the news.

Despite welcoming A-list stars such as Jeff Goldblum, Rachel Zegler, Lisa Kudrow and Ralph Fiennes, Winkleman stepped away after seven episodes, with the presenter saying she was "too nervous" to continue.

The show occupied the same slot on BBC One as The Graham Norton Show, and was produced by Norton's company, So Television. Norton himself has commented on the cancellation, which he believes was a shame for all parties.

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Speaking with Tina Daheley at the RTS London Convention 2026, Norton was hugely supportive of Winkleman's work, noting: "Claudia was the perfect person to do that."

"I don't think I'm talking out of school here, I've spoken to her and she did not enjoy it. I thought she was really good at it, and it could have gone on, but she didn't want to do it," he added.

Asked by Daheley if it the chat show was in the works long before The Traitors became hugely popular, Norton said: "Absolutely - she sat in for me last year, we were talking to her before that. It had been on the go for a long time."

"It's weird because I like hosting a chat show so much. So I just assume everyone would love it!" added the popular presenter, who has fronted his own chat show since 2007.

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Back when Winkleman announced the end of the short-lived show, she said: "I'm incredibly grateful to the BBC for giving me the opportunity, to the guests who agreed to come and chat to me, and the production team who were simply excellent."

"Sometimes you have to try something to see how it fits, and I realised I was just too nervous to enjoy it. Maybe one day I will give it another try, but for now I already have the best jobs in the world and absolutely love the shows I'm doing," she added.

The Claudia Winkleman Show aired on BBC One and streamed on BBC iPlayer.

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Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy. 

A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre. 

In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.