Claudia Winkleman admits she didn’t know who Strictly’s Hamza Yassin was when he signed up

Claudia Winkleman has admitted she didn’t know who Hamza Yassin was when he signed up for Strictly Come Dancing.

The presenter, 50, insisted it ‘doesn’t matter’ if she isn’t aware of all the celebrity contestants on the show – which she co-hosts with Tess Daly.

She went on to reveal she’s now a huge fan of the wildlife presenter, who is one of the favourites to win this year’s show with partner Jowita Przystal.

Asked if she knows who all the celebrities on the show are, she told The Times magazine: ‘It doesn’t matter. I mean, I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t know Hamza. Hamza, by the way, I am going to steal.’

On whether she wants to have an affair with Hamza, she exclaimed: ‘No, of course not! No, no! It’s leaving a pan in the sink for somebody else to wash. It’s the same level. Not fine. Entitlement on any level is wrong.’

It comes after Hamza revealed he’s struggling to adjust to his newfound fame after earning a legion of fans from the BBC ballroom show.

Gaffe: The presenter, 50, insisted it ‘doesn’t matter’ if she isn’t aware of all the celebrity contestants on the show (Hamza and partner Jowita Przystal pictured in October 2022)

The CBeebies star, 32, typically spends a lot of time in solicitude while working on his wildlife shows but is now spending his weeks in intense training sessions with Jowita.  

During a joint appearance on Thursday’s Loose Women the pair were asked how they’re finding the process. 

Addressing the initial backlash when he signed on the show, Hamza said: ‘When I got announced it was “who is he?” 

‘Normally I spend weeks by myself!’: It comes after Hamza revealed he’s struggling to adjust to his newfound fame after earning a legion of fans from the BBC ballroom show

‘Normally I’m not under the spotlight and Jowita told me it would all be fine, she gets me through and then I just flip her on a Saturday! It is a lot for me because I can spend weeks by myself.’

After starting out as an underdog Hamza is now the firm favourite to win the show after a series of stunning routines.

Having topped the leaderboard four times and avoided the dreaded dance-off so far, Hamza’s odds are currently 1-3. 

Two of a kind: The CBeebies star, 32, typically spends a lot of time in solicitude working on his wildlife shows but is now spending his weeks in intense training sessions with Jowita Prystal

Hamza – who has worked on Countryfile and Animal Park – is known to younger viewers under the guise of Ranger Hamza, presenting CBeebies live-action show Let’s Go For A Walk and new series Ranger Hamza’s Eco Quest. 

He comes from humble roots and previously revealed that he was voluntarily homeless for nine months as he tried to achieve his dream of becoming a wildlife photographer.

The presenter left home when he was 21 after being inspired by a family holiday to a remote Scottish village on the west coast peninsula of Ardnamurchan.

Speaking out: During a joint appearance on Thursday’s Loose Women the pair were asked how they’re finding the process

He decided to stay in the village to observe the wildlife, despite having no job and nowhere to live, with his parents convinced it was just a phase.

Hamza soon made a name for himself on the island and would have locals approach him to tell him of their wildlife spots.

He has lived there ever since and recently fronted Channel 4 documentary Scotland: My Life in the Wild and Scotland: Escape to the Wilderness, in which he guided celebrity companions on journeys through western and eastern Scotland and the Highlands.

Hamza said: ‘Jowita told me it would all be fine, she gets me through and then I just flip her on a Saturday! It is a lot for me because I can spend weeks by myself.’