'Claudia and I have never met – it's nuts'

Alan Cumming on how he hopes to finally meet fellow The Traitors presenter Claudia Winkleman as he hosts the Baftas and why he's rooting for the show's UK version to win

- WORDS: LAURA CARRENO-MÜLLER

They front the same hit reality series on opposite sides of the Atlantic, but Alan Cumming and Claudia Winkleman have never met. “Isn’t it nuts?” Alan says. “We might be the same person because you've never seen us in the same room. We have mutual friends and nearly met years ago.”

Since 2022, Claudia has been the face of The Traitors UK, filmed in Alan's homeland of Scotland. A year later Alan donned his trademark cape to host the American version of the show.

Though their paths have never crossed, there’s a quiet camaraderie between the two. “We were the guinea pigs for the show so there was some trepidation about doing something new,” Alan says. “We leave messages for each other on the make-up mirror.”

The pair nearly came face-to-face when Alan thought of promoting the first season of his US Traitors on Claudia’s BBC Radio 2 show.

“I realised I'd have to get up at 4am because I was in New York,” he says. “Sorry, Claudia. I love - but not that much!”