Interview with Claudia Winkleman

How does it feel to be back, working on The Piano for a fourth time round? 

“I love it so much. We're so lucky because we did it for the first time, we thought we'd only get one go. It is an absolute privilege to wait in stations for these amazing pianists who surprise us. We learn about their lives, meet their friends and family and we learn about why playing the piano is important to them. For us all of us involved it’s an honour.”
 

What are you most looking forward to in series 4 of The Piano?

“I look forward to all of it. I can't wait to see Mika, who's an absolute genius. I can't wait to see who we're going to meet. That's what's so thrilling about this amazing show, is you have no idea who's just round the corner and is just walking towards you through the station. I'm going to use the word concourse.”
 

What changes can we expect, how will this series be different? 

“We have some absolutely amazing mentors, and what will be fascinating is that Mika is going to be joined each time by different people, from Alice Sarah Ott, who's unbelievable, Hiromi, Jools Holland, Jamie Cullum, and they will all bring very different perspectives and then from that, in every location they will choose somebody to play at the final concert so it's going to be fascinating.
 

What I loved about having different mentors is that they love the idea, and they love the show. So, what was brilliant was to have people who were so enthusiastic. The fact they wanted to be part of it. It’s not glamorous and we adored them for wanting to be there. It was ‘hello, welcome to Birmingham New Street, can I get you a Greggs?’ They were all absolutely up for it.”

 

How has your love for music and The Piano evolved, working on the series for the past 4 years?

“Well, I still know absolutely nothing, but nobody seems to mind. They haven't shouted at me, so I'm like the idiot of the group, I know what moves me, but I'm just there as a conduit. I'm there to chat to them and make them as comfortable as possible and try and hear as much of their story as possible, so that the mentors can then get to know them a bit before they play.”

What do you hope this year’s amateur pianists bring to the table?

“Elton John, I just want somebody to play his amazing music! No, I don’t have any requests, my main job is that people feel comfortable and that they are well fed, so I will always get sweets.”
 

Any final thoughts?

“It's a phenomenal show. We are so grateful that it seems to have a place in people's heart. I'm asked a lot about it, like, when's it coming back, and what were they going to play, so we all feel incredibly privileged to be part of it.
Also all the people who work in the stations, they're so lovely to us. They make space, they let us put a piano in the middle of their station so we have to say an enormous thank you to them.”