Strictly's Claudia Winkleman's embarrassing on-air moment that left her convinced she'd be 'fired'

Strictly and The Traitors host Claudia Winkleman has been a mainstay on our TV screens for more than two decades, but she once had an on-air moment that left her red-faced

Claudia Winkleman, co-host of Saturday night's Strictly Come Dancing and the force behind The Traitors, once hilariously confessed to a less-than-perfect moment in her impressive career. The 52 year old TV star, applauded for her gigs in the 90s on Talking Telephone Numbers with Phillip Schofield and ITV's dating game show God's Gift, reminisced about an on-air hiccup with The Telegraph in 2010. Reflecting on her dream gig at the time, Claudia said: "They start with work, but nice work, on Friday nights when I present my Arts Show on BBC Radio 2. It's my dream job."

With candid humour, reports OK!, she added: "I'm phenomenally bad at it - I once had hiccups most of the way through - and am convinced I've been given the job by accident. I try not to make eye contact with anyone when I'm there. That way, I think they can't fire me." Juggling the airwaves from 1998 till 2013, the same year she helmed The Great British Sewing Bee, Claudia eventually filled Sir Bruce Forsyth's legendary shoes, co-hosting Strictly Come Dancing's weekend extravaganzas.

In a candid chat with Psychologies magazine last December, Claudia Winkleman opened up about her views on imposter syndrome, claiming it's beneficial for her career. "I don't want my career to end tomorrow – more than anything, I love the adrenaline," she confessed: "But if it does, I think I've had a ridiculously long run. I can't bear the arrogance of assuming that it's just going to continue – I love a bit of imposter syndrome. I think it's super healthy."

She continued, "I've met people who don't have it – they're awful. I think it's okay to think, 'How have I got here? When are they going to find out?', and 'I'm really not that good! '. And I want to instil that in my kids, too. Entitlement is not fine." This year marks two decades since Strictly sashayed onto our screens, and Claudia has been twirling through the franchise from the get-go, initially on 'Strictly - It Takes Two' before moving to the main stage. Ahead of the latest series, she expressed her joy at being part of the Strictly "family", quipping that "the fake tanning starts in earnest on September 1st and there's no let up until Christmas."

Meanwhile, fans are eagerly anticipating confirmation from the BBC for the third instalment of The Traitors. The gripping first series, clinched by faithfuls Aaron Evans, Hannah Byczkowski and Meryl Williams, hit screens in November 2022, while the second series, where traitor Harry Clark emerged victorious, launched in January this year.

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