Claudia Winkleman Debuts BBC Chat Show to Mixed Reviews

Claudia Winkleman hosted the debut episode of her new chat show on BBC One Friday night, welcoming guests Jeff Goldblum, Jennifer Saunders, Vanessa Williams, and Tom Allen to a live studio audience in a format blending celebrity interviews with audience interaction.

The hour-long program, produced by So Television, the company behind The Graham Norton Show, aired at 10:40 p.m. and is now available on BBC iPlayer. Winkleman, known for presenting Strictly Come Dancing and The Traitors, opened with her characteristic self-deprecating humor, joking to the audience, "I'm so nervous I just need to touch people," before introducing the guests as participants in what she called "the first and possibly last show." The episode featured discussions of the stars' recent projects, including Goldblum's new album Night Blooms with his band The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, Saunders' film The Magic Faraway Tree, Williams' role in the West End production of The Devil Wears Prada, and Allen's book Common Decency.

Highlights included Saunders recounting a story about attempting to share an ecstasy tablet with Dawn French, which they stored on a mantelpiece for months before abandoning the plan....