The Traitors has become a hit with viewers since it launched three years ago and even led to a celebrity edition featuring the likes of comedian Alan Carr, Olympian Tom Daley, television presenter Jonathan Ross
Matt Jackson Trendswatch Content Editor
19:30, 15 Oct 2025
Claudia Winkleman based her Traitors persona off a member of the Royal Family(Image: BBC / Studio Lambert)
Claudia Winkleman’s favourite member of the Royal Family inspired her persona on The Traitors. The murder-mystery series has become a television hit since it launched three years ago.
It has led to a celebrity edition of the show featuring the likes of comedian Alan Carr, Olympian Tom Daley, television presenter Jonathan Ross. Claudia has also become a fan-favourite on the show as the tartan-clad host.
And she says Princess Anne was part of the inspiration behind her look. The Princess Royal herself is considered a hit with the British public, regularly ranked among the most popular royals.
In conversation with Hello! magazine, Claudia revealed: “We went quite Miss Trunchbull and Morticia [Addams], with a nod to Princess Anne, who’s our favourite.”
The star’s wardrobe on The Traitors was curated by Sinead McKeefry. Claudia shared: “Sinead went: ‘Are we going for a bit of taffeta?’ and I’m going to be honest, I went overboard with that.”
Claudia hosts Celebrity Traitors(Image: PA)
Her sartorial choices on the show have been admired by viewers. Her style, a blend of high-profile designer brands and independent labels, has been dubbed as “gothic glam meets power dressing”.
Sinead told Grazia magazine that she often receives requests for a “Claudia in The Traitors look”. She added: “I think because [Claudia and I] enjoyed being back in the process, we had our inspirations and knew what our look wanted to be… Ronnie Corbett meets Princess Anne meets Madonna (in the Guy Ritchie days! )”
Princess Anne inspired Claudia(Image: Getty Images)
Claudia’s audacious silhouettes and striking outerwear became a hot topic during the previous series, with fans eager to emulate her style. Her cape coat has also become a wardrobe essential, providing an ideal way to layer your ensemble.
But it’s not just Claudia’s wardrobe that has been a hit on The Traitors. Viewers have been charmed by her theatrical flair, which led to her scooping the BAFTA TV Award for Best Entertainment Performance in 2023.
Claudia recently confessed to feeling “scared” when the show introduced a celebrity edition. In a chat with the BBC, she revealed: “I was scared. Only because I’m in love with this show and I wanted to keep it small. Once a year or maybe once every two years felt like enough. My bosses thank goodness ignored everything I said.”
Claudia presenting The Traitors(Image: BBC)
With the programme featuring a host of famous faces, Claudia admits there was one that had her “welling up”. She continued: “I could barely breathe when I saw them all in the Highlands. I’m such a fan of every single one of them.
“The whole team were just in awe, it was hard not to scream ‘you’re here!” When I talked to Stephen Fry I almost welled up, I told him “this was my dream”. We’re incredibly lucky to have the cast that we have. Each one of them is tremendous.”