Claudia Winkleman launches her brand-new chat show tonight – and here’s everything you need to know about the debut episode, including the celebrity guests and what time it airs.
The Claudia Winkleman Show takes over the coveted Friday night slot long held by The Graham Norton Show, meaning Claudia is stepping into one of the BBC’s biggest entertainment roles.
With such a prime-time position, viewers will be eager to see how she puts her own stamp on the format.
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One thing that is immediately different is the set. Gone are the bold red and purple tones that defined Graham Norton’s studio.
Instead, Claudia’s show features deep teal velvet seating, polished wood finishes and a much darker, sleeker look. Classy!
Here’s a closer look at The Claudia Winkleman Show and which stars are appearing on the very first episode.
The Claudia Winkleman Show tonight: Who are the guests?
Claudia’s opening show boasts a strong mix of international and British stars.
First up on the sofa is Hollywood actor Jeff Goldblum. Best known for his role in Jurassic Park, Jeff joins Claudia to discuss his love of music.
He performs with his jazz group, The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, who have just released a new album called Night Blooms. The band is also set to tour across the UK.
During the chat, Jeff reveals an unusual childhood habit involving pencils.
“I love going round Britain on tour. There’s always a little museum. A pencil museum… a moss museum,” he tells Claudia.
Jeff continues: “I’m very interested in pencils. My criminal period when I was eight or nine, I stole other kids’ pencils… I hoarded and collected pencils until one day someone said, ‘Jeffrey has all our pencils!’”
Singer and actress Vanessa Williams also joins the show. She is currently performing in the West End musical The Devil Wears Prada.
The Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives star plays Miranda Priestly in the stage production, which features music by Sir Elton John.
Vanessa tells Claudia about the memorable first time she met the music legend.
“He’s so honest, that’s what I love about him. He’s so frank,” she says.
“The first time I met him, we were doing the workshop in January 2024 and he had just had his first knee surgery.
“I walked into the rehearsal room… his sweats were down by his ankles, and he was showing everybody his scar but all I saw was his bum!”
Err, memorable!
Jennifer Saunders and Tom Allen also appear
Claudia also welcomes some familiar British faces.
Absolutely Fabulous star Jennifer Saunders stops by to talk about her latest film, The Magic Faraway Tree.
Jennifer appears alongside Nicola Coughlan and Andrew Garfield in the fantasy movie.
The story follows a modern family who move to the countryside and discover a magical tree that transports them to different worlds.
Jennifer plays Grandma Thompson in the film, which is currently showing in cinemas.
Comedian and former You’re Fired host Tom Allen is the fourth guest on Claudia’s debut show.
Tom recently released his first novel, Common Decency.
While discussing the book, one of the characters prompts Jennifer to share a surprising story about her and Dawn French.
Tom explains that his character Miranda has written a bold “bucket list” that includes trying acid.
Jennifer then admits: “Dawn [French] and I once thought we’d be really daring, and we got an ecstasy tablet. We thought one day when we’re alone… and it became such a matter of planning as to when we could take half an ecstasy tablet.
“It was kept on Dawn’s mantlepiece and one day, about six months later, we thought okay, we’re ready. We had water, we didn’t know what to expect at all and… the pill had gone!
“It was quite a relief. No drugs for us!”
What time is The Claudia Winkleman Show on tonight?
The Claudia Winkleman Show airs tonight (Friday March 13, 2026) on BBC One.
The programme begins at 10.40pm and runs until 11.30pm. It will also be available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Unlike The Graham Norton Show, the first episode does not include audience participation segments. There is also no live musical performance in the debut instalment.
Whether those features appear in later episodes remains to be seen.
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