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Strictly Come Dancing legend claims to have been wanted by BBC to host Celebrity Traitors

The Traitors without Claudia Winkleman? Unthinkable!

Claudia Winkleman in a tailored black suit stands confidently between two green leather armchairs in a wood-panelled room, facing a table piled high with gold bars.

BBC/Studio Lambert/Paul Chappells

Published: Wednesday, 3 June 2026 at 4:30 pm

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Bill Bailey has claimed he was approached to host The Celebrity Traitors but turned it down due to scheduling commitments.

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The former Strictly Come Dancing champion was speaking to Australian breakfast programme Today, and said he was in the running to host.

He said: "Here’s a scoop for you, I was actually offered the role of hosting Traitors, Celebrity Traitors. I couldn’t take the role because I was doing something else."

Radio Times has reached out to the BBC and Studio Lambert for comment.

Bailey also revealed he was asked to compete on Prime Video's Last One Laughing, but was busy working on another project.

"The recording was when I was actually away filming a travel documentary." he said.

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A representative for Bailey told The Independent that he was approached by Studio Lambert in 2022 to host The Traitors but the filming dates didn't work as he was performing in his nationwide tour of En Route to Normal at the time.

Late last year the BBC's chief content officer, Kate Phillips, revealed that Claudia Winkleman wasn't the first choice to host The Traitors and initially they had their eye on Alan Cumming to helm the series.

Speaking on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, Phillips told hosts Richard Osman and Marina Hyde that, when it came to choosing a host, Cumming was initially thought of as the right fit as he had recently signed up to do the US series.

She said: "So I thought Alan is known here and he's a popular Scottish actor so we did actually ask Alan if he would do it, but he couldn't do it with our dates because America were filming first and he had another job so he couldn't do it."

Alan Cumming stood outside Ardross Castle in front of a firepit, wearing a blue shawl with his arms stretched out.

Alan Cumming on The Traitors US. BBC/Peacock TV LLC/Euan Cherry

"So then we were thinking who else? Studio Lambert had a good list of names and I just thought Claudia because I'd worked with her on Strictly. And the thing about Claudia on Strictly is that she's brilliant on that show but she's brilliant because she's interested in people. More than the dancing, she's about the people and the contestants and what's happening."

Phillips explained that she rang Winkleman, who was unsure about the idea of leaving her house to film in the countryside, and told her she'd ask the production company to send her a copy of the Dutch version, to see what she thought.

"She watched that and she was in straight away."

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But fans needn't worry as there is plenty more Winkleman in The Traitors castle for years to come as the BBC has confirmed a new three-year deal that will keep The Traitors and The Celebrity Traitors on BBC One until at least 2030.

This means the fifth season of The Traitors will arrive on BBC One and iPlayer in 2027 and will be followed by season 6 in 2028, season 7 in 2029 and season 8 in 2030.

Meanwhile, The Celebrity Traitors season 2 will arrive later in 2026 and will be followed by season 3 in 2027, season 4 in 2028 and season 5 in 2029.

Kalpna Patel-Knight, head of entertainment commissioning at the BBC, said: "We are proud to remain faithful to The Traitors and The Celebrity Traitors until 2030 and wanted to say a big thank you to the outstanding team at Studio Lambert Scotland for bringing it to screen.

"We can’t wait to share many more twists and turns with viewers all across the UK in the coming years."

The Celebrity Traitors returns to on BBC One and BBC iPlayer later this year.

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Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of Katelyn Mensah, smiling against a lime green background.

Katelyn MensahSenior Entertainment Writer

Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.

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