The Traitors’ Alex on what Claudia Winkleman was like behind the scenes
"It was like a headmistress coming into assembly."
We're heading into the final week of The Traitors – the BBC One reality competition that's become a word-of-mouth hit since sending 22 contestants to a Scottish castle to play a high-stakes game of wink murder at the start of the month.
While the show is hosted by Strictly Come Dancing's Claudia Winkleman, fans are treated to a different side of her on The Traitors, with the TV presenter taking on a formidable, fingerless glove-wearing persona for the 12-parter – but what was she really like behind-the-scenes?
The Traitors star and recently eliminated contestant Alex Gray has revealed that Winkleman did try to "stop and chat" to the cast when the cameras weren't rolling, however she was mainly kept separate from them by the show's producers.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com in an exclusive interview, the actress said: "She tried to talk to us way more, but I think she was kind of ushered off by the producers because they didn't want her getting too close to us.
"When we saw her, it was kind like a headmistress coming into assembly – you all stand up and you all kind of like *gasps* you know, your stomach drops a bit because, you know whenever she arrives, there's gonna be a news bulletin of some kind."
The continued: "The majority of the time, it was something negative so I think it would have ruined that illusion for us. She was always trying to stop and chat and we did have little chats here and there, but then something would go off in her ear and she'd be like, 'Oh, sorry, I've got to go.' But yeah, she was amazing."
Alex became one of the latest contestants to be killed off by the Traitors last week after turning down their invitation to join them, bringing the murder count up to six contestants.
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The actress and presenter also said while she didn't want to be a Traitor, there is one thing she wishes she'd done differently in the competition, meanwhile her fellow contestant Tom – who told the group about his secret relationship with Alex and was subsequently banished – recently revealed RadioTimes.com whether he was still romantically linked to Alex or not.
After Theo became the seventh contestant to be banished from the competition on Friday, there are just nine remaining on the show, with two Traitors – Amanda and Wilfred – yet to be detected.
The Traitors continues on Tuesday 20th December at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, with the finale airing on Thursday 22nd December.
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