Celeb Traitors? Kill the idea...

Claudia: Luckily, bosses ignored me

- BY NICOLA METHVEN

AS fans of The Traitors breathlessly await the first celebrity series, host Claudia Winkleman has told how none of the 19 famous faces would have set foot in the castle if she'd had her way.

Claudia, who has pulled on her fingerless gloves to oversee the shenanigans and skulduggery on all three seasons, thought a star-studded version was going too far.

She said: "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."

The BBC signed 19 stars for The Celebrity Traitors, which starts next week, each vying to win £100,000 for their chosen charity.