Strictly's Claudia Winkleman left fans reeling after announcing her shock departure from her Radio 2 show last week, 15 years after joining the station.
Telling listeners that comedian Romesh Ranganathan would be taking over from her next March, Claudia – who first joined Radio 2 to present comedy quiz Hot Gossip in 2008 before taking the helm of the Saturday morning show in 2021 – shared a heartfelt reason for stepping down.
She said, “Time is going too fast, my daughter is getting ready to leave home and she was three about five minutes ago.
“I still have a little one who wants to be with me, but don’t know how long that will last, and I just need to be at home more.”
And a source tells Closer that while the decision to leave a role she loved was difficult, the mum-of-three, 51 – who has been married to film producer and former PR guru Kris Thykier since 2000 – has been feeling torn between her professional and personal lives for some time.
The insider says, “Claudia has thought long and hard about this decision as she absolutely loved doing Radio 2, but she realised something had to give – she felt she wasn’t able to give her best at home or at work.
“She’s also well aware that her kids are growing up so quickly and with Matilda hoping to go to uni next year, she just wants to spend as much time as possible at home.
“Arthur is still only 11, but Claudia knows it won’t be long before he no longer wants to hang out with his parents. There’s no chance of any more babies so she wants to make the most of this time.”
While Claudia’s children – Jake, 20, Matilda, 17, and Arthur, 11 – are mostly kept out of the limelight, Matilda made headline news in 2014 when, aged eight, she suffered horrific burns when her Halloween dress caught fire while trick-or-treating.
Claudia has since spoken out about safety issues around the use of candles, and the source says the deeper bond they formed following her accident has been a huge driving factor behind the TV and radio star’s decision.
They add, “Matilda gearing up to leave home and turning 18 next year is something that Claudia finds really emotional because of everything they have been through.
“Matilda relied on her for so long after her accident, their bond is unbreakable, and Claudia always feels very protective of her and wants to be there to support her next steps, which she knows will be hard for her.”
However, the insider says there are currently no plans for Claudia, who is expected to present series 2 of game show The Traitors in early 2024, to quit Strictly Come Dancing. The source adds, “She’s so loyal to that show and loves working with Tess [Daly]. The recent success of The Traitors has seen her more in demand than ever and she’s had to turn down lots of things as she hates being away from her husband and kids.
“It was either her radio show or Strictly – and there was no way she could give that up. She and Tess are a team and they’ve always said that if one goes, the other will. Neither of them are ready for that.”
