BBC bosses fear Claudia Winkleman could quit Strictly after The Traitors made her the most sought-after television presenter in Britain.
Senior executives at the corporation are worried the 52-year-old will become so in demand that she might consider ending her run as the co-host of the dance show alongside Tess Daly.
ITV chiefs are already looking to ‘get a piece of’ Ms Winkleman after watching her become such a success as the cunning host of BBC hit The Traitors, which aired its last episode of the series night.
Their worries come after she quit Radio 2 so she could spend more time with her three children Jake, 20, Matilda, 17, and Arthur, ten, as well as her film producer husband, Kris Thykier.
A BBC source told the Mail: ‘Strictly signed Claudia when she was nowhere near as in demand as she is right now and the hours aren’t exactly convenient for her.
BBC bosses fear Claudia Winkleman could quit Strictly after The Traitors made her the most sought-after television presenter in Britain
ITV chiefs are already looking to ‘get a piece of’ Ms Winkleman
‘It takes up most of her Saturday and she doesn’t get home until way after midnight and when there are so many jobs that can be done within normal working hours… there are worries that soon, at some point, there will be a cross roads and she might decide to go.
‘That would be a tremendously sad day.’
Sources at the broadcaster said they were left further worried when they read a promotional interview for The Traitors last month in which Ms Winkleman admitted she might quit Strictly.
After being left ‘floored’ by how popular the series was, she says she confided in her husband that she felt she was at the top of her game so she should leave on a high.
She said: ‘I was on a train and I spoke to my husband and I was just saying: ‘It’s over, but I had a good run and that’s why I should resign from Strictly and just hide.’
Those close to Ms Winkleman say she ‘absolutely loves’ Strictly and has no plans to quit.
Last night Ms Winkleman hosted the much-anticipated finale of The Traitors after a three-week rollercoaster of lying and backstabbing by a group of 22 strangers.
Harry Clarke, 22, his close friend Mollie Pearce, 21, Andrew Jenkins, 45, Jaz Singh, 30, and Evie Morrison, 29, went head-to-head to win the cash prize which stood at £68,150 ahead of the final.
It came after Thursday’s episode saw Jasmine Boatswain become the latest to be banished from the game.
Senior executives at the corporation are worried the 52-year-old will become so in demand that she might consider ending her run as the co-host of the dance show alongside Tess Daly
Last night Ms Winkleman hosted the much-anticipated finale of The Traitors after a three-week rollercoaster of lying and backstabbing by a group of 22 strangers
Clarke, a British Army Corporal, is the favourite to win after deploying a dazzling range of Machiavellian tactics.
He is also tipped to become a television star after the show and is dating Anna Maynard, 23, who is a children’s TV presenter and social media star as well as sister of pop star Conor Maynard.
Ms Winkleman began hosting Strictly in 2010 when the late Sir Bruce Forsyth stood down from presenting the Sunday night episode of the show.
She also hosts Channel 4 show The Piano which hunts for amateur pianists and she has already committed to a third series of The Traitors.
The presenter, thought to be worth £9million, has turned down an opportunity to host a chat show after filming a pilot episode with Graham Norton’s production company, So Television.
Ms Winkleman, whose fashion choices on The Traitors have won plaudits, wore a £4,750 oversized black fringed coat from Saint Laurent which she has since revealed will be auctioned off for Comic Relief in March.
During the series she wore an array of classic British country clothing, including a £595 argyle vest from British luxury brand Purdey – which has now sold out since it was worn in the first episode – a £259 mohair kilt from Highland brand Brora, and £180 Dr Martens Chelsea boots.
