“What I do is not hard,” she will protest. “It’s just reading out loud.” She will insist that the success of programmes like The Traitors, or Strictly, has absolutely nothing to do with her – that she is just the goth weirdo peeking through her fringe in the corner who loves and wants to look after everyone and who spends the rest of her life doing crosswords in bed, or embarrassing her children, or kissing her dog. She will claim that some young upstart will replace her any minute, and she will graciously concede.
Eccentric, magnetic, enigmatic and with no detectable desire to be the centre of attention in any situation, she is the best in the business because she is one of about five people who still treats “presenting” as the skill that it is, and not just another celebrity gig requiring you to look glamorous and read off an autocue.
Winkleman will cover The Graham Norton Show – a sign of things to come? (Photo: Matt Crossick/PA Wire)She reveals almost nothing about herself, rarely declares her opinion on anything and while we might think we know her – the eyeliner, the knits, the fingerless gloves and, when appearing as “herself” rather than fronting a programme, an air of mild chaos.
What makes a great presenter? Personality – obviously, which must draw viewers to the programme. Restraint – it is not about them, but the brand and show they represent, so they must adhere to its values and must keep their own feelings private without appearing boring.
Claudia Winkleman on The Traitors (Photo: Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry)
That nurturing instinct must extend to celebrities, too – they must be adept at handling their egos even when under strain, and must refuse to be deferential, especially in interviews. Most importantly, they must hold the audience in the highest possible regard. A good presenter is a reader of people – they must anticipate what people watching most want to know and juggle every other battling dynamic and curveball to deliver it.
Ant and Dec, who still have not grown out of the naughty boy shtick, and as the last series of I’m a Celebrity proved, I still have not grown out of laughing at it. Dermot O’Leary is generous and reliable, Davina McCall simultaneously maternal and powerful, Alan Carr mischievous, supportive, and just on the right side of blue.
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Read MoreIs the talent dearth down to broadcasters, whose ever-shrinking budgets won’t allow them to gamble on giving a big gig to someone new, rather than a reliable draw? Is it down to influencer culture, whose power has convinced entertainment execs that they ought to be fronting TV programmes, and bringing their social media followings with them (and probably failing when audiences learn, fast, that presenters are more than just props)?
Winkleman was the child of journalists and was taught, “Don’t worry about being interesting. Be interested.” If only more would take that advice.
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