Claudia Winkleman's chat show ended after one series - can anyone replace Graham Norton?

Many considered Claudia Winkleman as Norton's successor, but her chat show ended after just one series. Winkleman steppd down from her chat show last week following its seven-episode run When Lisa Kudrow appeared on The Claudia Winkleman Show earlier this year, she was visibly delighted to meet Linda from The Traitors. The Friends actress, probably the most famous guest the programme had during its seven-week run, said it was "thrilling" to meet one of the reality show's breakout stars, who she revealed had even inspired one of her own recent performances.

As host of The Traitors, Winkleman was ideally placed to introduce the pair, resulting the kind of wonderfully bizarre meeting of minds normally seen on The Graham Norton Show. But Winkleman's own chat show did not last long enough for any more unusual guest combinations on its teal sofa. The presenter quit last week after just one series, saying she was simply "too nervous to enjoy it".

It had made sense for the BBC to commission The Claudia Winkleman Show, given the presenter's popularity on programmes such as Strictly. There's a different level of pressure, however, hosting a show with your own name above the door. Lisa Kudrow (second left) said she was "thrilled" to meet Linda from the Traitors (far right) on the chat show "Everyone thought she could pull it off because she's smart and funny, but a chat show with multiple guests is very difficult to handle, the Telegraph's arts and entertainment editor, Anita Singh, tells BBC News.

"You have to marshall the conversation, give each guest equal time, help them to plug whatever they're plugging, then cue in whatever anecdote they've agreed beforehand with the researchers. Graham Norton makes that look deceptively easy. She adds: "I think if Claudia had done a couple more series she would have become better at it.

But she's at her best when she's being spontaneous, and the format allows very little space for that. Winkleman's decision to quit surprised many. The viewing figures were lower than Norton's, but still respectable.

The reviews from critics were mixed, rather than universally bad. The BBC confirmed it was Winkleman's decision to stop, and implied that they would've happily commissioned a second series - and possibly already had. "My understanding is they had made a deal beyond one season, says Deadline's Jake Kanter, who has reported on the talk show throughout.

"How formal that was, I don't know. But there was an intention for it to continue. He adds: "I wholeheartedly believe her that this perhaps didn't work out because of her own concerns and anxiety around the hosting. Winkleman's chat show was made by Graham Norton's production company So Television Former BBC One controller Peter Fincham, who hosts the TV podcast Insiders, likens it to the Davina McCall chat show he commissioned in 2006, which also ended after one series.

"You have to remember, particularly chat shows where the presenter's name is in the title, it's very exposing for them, he tells BBC News. "Had Claudia Winkleman wanted to carry on with her chat show, it could have been a slow burn, he reflects. "But what she's done is rare, actually, for somebody to say, 'hmm, didn't really enjoy that, don't think I'll do it again'.

"That says something very positive about her that you don't often see among presenters. Many considered Winkleman, 54, to be chat show emperor Graham Norton's presumptive successor - not least because he seemed to be ushering her through himself. So Television, which Norton co-owns, also produced Winkleman's show, and it could have been a neat way for the company to retain work when Norton does eventually quit. Admittedly, Norton's show is not vanishing any time soon - he signed a new three-year deal with the BBC in 2025. He has also taken on several new projects, including a podcast, more novels, and a short-lived ITV game show, The Neighbourhood.

But Norton, 63, has also spoken openly in recent years about working less. He reduced the number of chat show episodes he presents in 2022, and also stepped down from his Virgin Radio show two years later. The BBC signed a new three-year deal with The Graham Norton Show in 2025 The short life of The Claudia Winkleman Show could make the Norton succession plan a key issue for the BBC's incoming entertainment chief, Ed Havard.

"This does leave the BBC with a problem if and when Graham decides to retire, because if Claudia can't do it, I don't know who can, says Singh. "Graham doesn't want to do 52 weeks a year, Fincham notes, "so I'm sure the BBC would have been delighted to have another long-running chat show that you can balance with his, and they may have another try. Dozens of presenters would love the gig and many would be perfectly capable - Jack Whitehall did a solid job when he stood in for Norton previously, or Alan Carr could probably be tempted to return to his Chatty Man days.

But the TV landscape is also littered with examples of cancelled chat shows. As well as Winkleman and McCall, Lily Allen and Charlotte Church also hosted series which didn't last long. Winkleman will continue to host The Traitors and the forthcoming second series of its popular celebrity spin-off A cynic might say that the short life of Winkleman's series will have shown both her and the BBC that launching a new chat show is harder than it looks."