Paul GlynnCulture reporter
Watch: Claudia Winkleman and Sir Antony Gormley honoured at Windsor Castle
Claudia Winkleman was all smiles on Tuesday after being made an MBE by King Charles III at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle.
The Traitors and Strictly Come Dancing presenter was recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours this summer alongside her Strictly co-host, Tess Daly, for services to broadcasting.
Winkleman, who wore a white suit with matching headband and a black shirt for the occasion, was joined by family – including her mother, journalist Eve Pollard – at the royal residence.
Following the event, the star posted on Instagram: “An incredible morning and an enormous honour. I’m speechless.”
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Winkleman was honoured by King Charles III at the event
Winkleman won a Bafta award in 2023 for her deadpan work on The Traitors, which returns in the New Year.
Alan Carr won the recent celebrity version, with the final episode being watched by a peak audience of 12 million, according to the BBC.
Until the success of the show, Winkleman was best known for co-presenting BBC One’s flagship celebrity dance contest, Strictly, to which she has been bringing her warmth and wit in one form or another since 2004.
She first presented its spin-off show, It Takes Two, then began co-presenting the Sunday night results show alongside Daly in 2010.
It was 2014 when the pair first presented the main Saturday night show together, with Winkleman filling the big shoes of Bruce Forsyth.
The presenting duo announced in October that they will both be leaving at the end of the current series, with the Christmas Day special marking their final appearance.
“We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream. We were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time,” they wrote in a joint statement on Instagram.
Last month Daly was honoured by the King, whose wife, Queen Camilla, last year revealed: “We all watch it. I’m one of Strictly’s greatest fans.”
Winkleman’s sister, Peep Show actress Sophie Winkleman, became a member of the Royal family herself after marrying Lord Frederick Windsor.
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She was accompanied by her family for the big day
Alongside It Takes Two, Winkleman began hosting various reality shows including BBC Three’s The House of Tiny Tearaways and ITV’s Hell’s Kitchen, before she took the helm as one of the co-presenters of BBC One’s Film programme, following the departure of Jonathan Ross.
She also hosted Comic Relief, The Great British Sewing Bee and The Piano talent show on Channel 4, as well as a raft of shows on BBC Radio 2.
Earlier this year she was given the Royal Television Society’s outstanding achievement award.
After being named on the honours list in June, Winkleman said she was “incredibly grateful to receive this honour”.
“It’s a real privilege to work with extraordinarily talented people and I have only got this because of them. So this is for the BBC, the Traitors and the Faithful, for pianos and for the cha cha,” she added.
Meanwhile on Tuesday, Sir Antony Gormley was also recognised by King Charles at the same ceremony.
The Angel of the North sculptor joined the elite Companions of Honour, an exclusive group limited to only 65 recipients at any one time.
