Claudia Winkleman slapped with ban by bosses during Celebrity Traitors pick

Oct 01
Written by Jack Wetherill

Claudia Winkleman is back for Celebrity Traitors (BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry)

Claudia Winkleman is not allowed to wear jewellery during The Traitors pick, after executive producer Sarah Fay warned that even a small jangle could give the game away.

The behind-the-scenes rule was shared at a BBC screening ahead of the launch of The Celebrity Traitors, which starts on BBC One tonight (1 October) at 8pm.

Speaking at the screening, Fay said (via Daily Mail): “Claudia is not allowed jewellery when we do the Traitors pick. We’re very strict on that, in case it jangles.”

Shrouded in secrecy

The selection happens at the roundtable in the opening episode, with contestants sitting blindfolded as Winkleman moves behind them and taps the chosen Traitors on the shoulder. It is designed to be as silent as possible, so nobody can clock who has been picked and ruin the entire game.

Celebrity Traitors stars (L-R) Ross Kemp, James Blunt, Myha’la, Rob Beckett, Professor Hannah Fry, Richard E Grant, Sharon Rooney, Bella Ramsay, Romesh Ranganathan, Jerry Hall, Claudia Winkleman, Amol Rajan, Miranda Hart, Maya Jama, James Acaster, Sebastian Croft, Michael Sheen, Joe Lycett, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Joanne McNally, Leigh-Anne Pinnock & King Kenny (BBC/Studio Lambert/Cody Burridge/BBC Creative)

The tension is not just for the players. Winkleman admitted she “gets scared” and “panics” during the Traitors pick, telling The Independent: “I have to wear spiky, noisy, scary shoes. I feel like I’m doing flamenco because I stop a lot.”

Winkleman also said she worries about the noise her outfit might make, adding: “Yes, and there’s some fabric that I think are noisy, even though I’ve been told fabric does not make a noise.”

When is The Celebrity Traitors on BBC One?

The Celebrity Traitors begins tonight on BBC One at 8pm, with celebrities competing to win up to £100,000 for their chosen charity. This year’s contestants include pansexual comedian Joe Lycett, as well as queer actors Sebastian Croft and Bella Ramsey.

Winkleman, a long-running fixture of BBC entertainment, has become a defining face of The Traitors, with her heavy fringe, dark eyeliner and gothic-country wardrobe widely imitated and memed. She described her style on the series as “human crow meets golf caddie meets the artful dodger”.