It's music to our ears

Claudia Winkleman and Mika are back with a new series of The Piano as they discover "unbelievable" talent with new mentor Jon Batiste

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With her sharp wit, self-deprecating humour and conspiratorial charm, Claudia Winkleman is one of our brightest and most brilliant TV presenters.

However, as she filmed the new series of The Piano, she admits her cool facade crumbled and she couldn't help but be overcome by emotion. “I cried three times,” Claudia says. “The finalists are unbelievable.”

Channel 4's Bafta-nominated and Broadcast Award-winning show is back for a third series, with five fresh locations, including Heathrow Airport.

There's another big change too — multi-Grammy-winning musician Jon Batiste replaces pianist Lang Lang.

According to fellow mentor and Grace Kelly singer Mika, the shake-up has given the show a new lease of life.

“It has a different energy this year than the past two years,” says Mika. “It’s obviously because Jon is around and it's taken a whole new shape in terms of the discussions and the considerations.

“Putting someone else into the show was a really good disturbance, a really great exercise — emotionally, stylistically, culturally. Some things would clash, some things were in complete harmony, and it’s all in there.”