Cliff Notes – Claudia Winkleman ‘I’m not allowed to dance or play the piano’
- Season three of Channel 4’s The Piano features a new judge, Jon Batiste, replacing Lang Lang, who is currently on tour; both Mika and Winkleman express excitement about the change in energy.
- The show continues to highlight emotional stories from contestants, such as John from Brighton, who overcame substance abuse with the help of music, showcasing the transformative power of the piano.
- The Piano distinguishes itself from other reality shows by focusing on personal expression rather than fame, encouraging participants to share their stories without the pressure of competition.
Claudia Winkleman: ‘I’m not allowed to dance or play the piano’
As Claudia Winkleman and Mika return for a third season of Channel 4 reality series The Piano, it is just as emotional as ever.
The series invites the best amateur pianists across the UK to play in the nation’s busiest train stations for a chance to be mentored by internationally acclaimed piano virtuoso Lang Lang and pop icon Mika ahead of a live concert performance.
Season three will see a change-up to the judging line-up, however, as Lang Lang takes a step back to concentrate on his international tour. He will instead be replaced by Grammy-winning artist Jon Batiste – not too bad.
‘For me, Lang Lang going away was destabilising,’ Mika told Metro about the shake-up, adding that both are ‘excellent musicians with completely different genres.’
The Grace Kelly hitmaker continued: ‘Sometimes I had to explain to Lang Lang what ABBA was which in itself was so glorious because he was so pure. He knows all the classical music very well.
‘[With Jon Batsiste] it brought the level of conversation to a different kind of energy, it was stimulating and I think change is good.’
Jon Batiste brings a ‘different kind of energy’ as Lang Lang’s replacement in The Piano (Picture: Channel 4)
The Strictly host, 53, echoed Mika’s joy, saying that she even ‘pinched’ herself at how lucky they were to consistently secure such world-renowned talent.
And Lang Lang has certainly not been forgotten, as Mika confirmed he’s been sending regular text updates while he’s been touring.
Claudia praised: ‘He’s adorable. Once you’re part of The Piano, you’re always part of The Piano. That’s what we say to our pianists as well. People from series one still message going: “what are you doing?”
‘Or I speak to Lucy’s [season one winner] mum so that’s a lovely thing. Lang Lang will forever be with us. There was no goodbye, because that would be too difficult.’
And Mike explained just how special this show is for musicians like himself and Lang Lang.
Lang Lang is ‘always welcome’ back, says Claudia (Picture: Channel 4)
He said: ‘You’re allowed to just completely be yourself. There are not many places where we as musicians can go and make some television in such a protected way. No one’s telling you what say, no one’s building a narrative. You’re just free. There’s no script, there’s nothing.
‘You forget the cameras are filming you and you just waffle on and then you just don’t watch yourself because you’re embarrassed about what you said and the way you said it’
As for whether there’s any hope of Lang Lang returning, Claudia simply said: ‘I have absolutely no idea, but he would always be welcome.’
The Piano is filled with heartwarming and inspirational tales such as last season’s winner Brad who dedicated his victory to his foster parents, Eve and Frank, and even named his debut single after them.
‘I always go on about the fact that The Piano gives a voice to people who don’t have a voice. When you see how eloquently and how beautifully [people] can express themselves in a world where they find it so hard with just words. It’s very powerful.
‘Also the way that music can change your life – not to become a star – but to change your life profoundly without anybody looking,’ Mika explained.
Mika shared one contestant whose story really moved him in this new season (Picture: Channel 4)
He shared one particularly moving contestant from this season – John from Brighton – who has struggled with substance abuse since his adolescence.
‘Miraculously he managed, through a lot of hard work, to get himself clean and has said that the piano was the thing that pulled him through.
‘He’s turned his entire house into a piano lab [and] tries to offer the same opportunity to all the other people in the community around who need the same kind of help.
‘He’s not doing it for glory. He didn’t show up here to win a show. He’s doing it because it means something to him and to the community around him,’ he recalled.
For Claudia, it is the smaller, unassuming, stories that leave the biggest impression. Like the people who lose themselves playing the piano after a hard day of work or to put off the cooking.
‘It doesn’t have to be a big old story or I overcome X. I like those tiny stories where you just get a shard. I wanted to do X that I thought was probably quite bad for me, but now I play. There’s a lot of that and how lucky are we that they come and they share their stories with us.’
The Piano offers something ‘very different’ in the reality show ecosystem, says Claudia (Picture: Channel 4/Nic Serpell-Rand)
Of course, there are several reality shows that do claim they have the power to catapult you into stardom if you win – from Britain’s Got Talent to X Factor to The Voice – but The Piano is offering something very different.
The The Traitors host explained: ‘I would never be mean about those other shows because they do change lives and they are absolutely extraordinary.
‘It’s amazing to watch somebody who appears once and they’re nervous and then they go back and they’re suddenly in the Royal Albert Hall.
‘The Piano is very different. The people who come and play for us, they don’t necessarily want to change their lives, but they do feel strongly about sharing a composed piece.
[There was] an amazing rugby player [this season], who was so adorable who had an injury. He couldn’t play rugby so he just came along and played piano. I was like “what are you going to do now?”. He said:” My legs gonna get better and I’m gonna get back on the rugby field.”
‘There’s total space for both [types of shows].’
That’s not to say that The Piano can’t also offer those kinds of opportunities where needed. As Mika pointed out. Brad went from never even imagining selling tickets to his own show to ‘selling out the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.
‘It’s unbelievable. You couldn’t write it, really,’ he added.
Shows like The Piano can encourage you to try things you never have before (Picture: Channel 4)
And the reach of the show is far and wide, encouraging people from all walks of lives (and the most unlikely places) to pick up an instrument – like one car mechanic who put down his toolbox, played for Claudia and then went ‘straight back to the garage’.
It’s just the magic of reality tv, making the impossible feel possible.
‘Bake Off made me and my daughter less scared to bake. We didn’t have to be perfect,’ Claudia added.
Although when asked if she has picked up an instrument, she quipped: ‘Absolutely not. I’m not allowed to dance. I’m not allowed to lie and I’m definitely not allowed to play the piano.’
The Piano is not alone in making Claudia emotional when it comes to hosting. As the face of huge shows like Strictly Come Dancing and The Traitors, heartfelt backstories come in spades.
‘When Tess says, and the winner is Chris McCausland and Diane, I feel tearful; when I turn around and say, “are you faithful or are you a traitor?” and somebody wins; When I say, “why have you come to this station, what are you gonna play? and why are you playing?” and they tell me – that’s very emotional.
Whatever show Claudia is doing, that’s her ‘favourite’ (Picture: Channel 4)
‘I’m the luckiest person on earth is the truth. Wherever I am, that’s my favourite,’ she reflected.
Whatever magic she is putting into the shows is clearly working. And her iconic Traitors look has even been the source of World Book Day outfit inspiration for Gogglebox star Izzi Warner’s son which absolutely delighted the media personality.
‘He’s phenomenal. All my friends sent it to me. I thought he looks so amazing. And when I go to the castle, I might phone him and ask him for tips. I wish I looked like that,’ she joked.
For now, however, she remains ‘incredibly grateful that people are watching [The Piano] and come and play at the stations for us.’
And looking ahead to the new season, Mika added: ‘You are completely unaware of how powerful you can be. Sometimes the things that you think suck can resonate in hundreds or thousands of people’s hearts.’
And Claudia ominously hinted: ‘It’s not over when you think it’s over.’
The Piano returns to Channel 4 on April 13.
