Claudia Winkleman will get hit within the FACE by Crufts winner on stay TV in awkward mishap – as her internet hosting debut on annual canine present divides viewers

Claudia Winkleman was accidentally hit in the face by Crufts winner Lee Cox in an awkward mishap after his dog Bruin winning Best in Show on Sunday.  

Following the triumph the handler spoke to the The Traitors host, who this year made her debut presenting the dog show for Channel 4 alongside returning Claire Balding.

However in his excitement he knocked the microphone, which hit Claudia in the chin as she tried her best to keep the show on the road.

Lee gasped: ‘Oh sorry love I’ve just hit you in the face’ and as she attempted to move on, he directly looked into the camera and declared: ‘I’ve just hit Claudia, Claudia in the face with her microphone!’.

Claudia’s Crufts debut has well and truly divided viewers, while some loved her chaotic energy others furiously claimed the show now appeared to be more about her and less about the dogs.

Taking to X they said: ‘They need to bring Claudia back next year she was wonderful’: ‘Used to be about the dogs now its the Claudia show. Why does she have to be on everything?’: ‘Can #Crufts keep Claudia please?’: ‘Did #Crufts need Claudia Winkleman?’.

Claudia Winkleman was accidentally hit in the face by Crufts winner Lee Cox in an awkward mishap following his dog Bruin winning Best in Show on Sunday

In his excitement he knocked the microphone, which hit Claudia in the chin as she tried her best to keep the show on the road 

Clumber spaniel Bruin with his handler Lee Cox pictured with the Crufts trophy

‘I don’t want to see Claudia Winkleman’s ‘best bits’ I want to see the dogs ‘best bits’. Why has this become the Claudia show. She has nothing interesting to say about dogs’: ‘Please don’t ruin #crufts. @Channel4 By bringing in populist presenters #claudia ‘It’s been great having Claudia Winkleman on Channel 4’s #Crufts coverage this year’. 

Four-year-old ‘diva’, Bruin, beat thousands of dogs from around the world over the past four days to claim the show’s top honour in Birmingham. 

Bruin was the winner of the Gundog group earlier in the show. It is the first time a Clumber spaniel has won Best in Show since 1991. 

The spaniel was chosen by judge Tamas Jakkel, beating the winners of six other groups to bag the trophy.

Handler Lee: ‘It’s just amazing, I mean, what can I say? I can’t believe it. Thank you so much.

‘It’s just wonderful for this breed… for the first time in my life, I’m speechless.’

He added: ‘He’s just, he’s a dog of a lifetime, he really, really is. He’s very, very special. I absolutely adore him. And he adores me.’

He then joked that ‘I think he wants to eat your microphone’, before adding ‘he’s just wonderful’.

Following the triumph the handler spoke to the The Traitors host, who this year made her debut presenting the dog show for Channel 4 alongside returning Claire Balding

Lee gasped: ‘Oh sorry love I’ve just hit you in the face’ and as she attempted to move on, he directly looked into the camera and declared: ‘I’ve just hit Claudia, Claudia in the face’

Claudia’s Crufts debut has well and truly divided viewers, while some loved her chaotic energy others furiously claimed the show now appeared to be more about her and less about the dogs

Claudia was raved that hosting Crufts had ‘been the best day of her life’ 

Divided viewers took to X to make their feelings known 

Asked what his character is like, Lee said: ‘Bit of a diva, a bit like me really, likes his own way, very chilled, but will never, ever let me down. Never lets me down.’ 

Earlier he described Bruin as a ‘walking cartoon character in a fluffy white coat’. 

He will receive a trophy replica and £200 in cash for winning this year’s competition. 

A four-year-old petit basset griffon vendeen named Meghan, from Croatia – who earlier won the Hound group – was named reserve dog.

Jannine Edgar, chief executive of the Royal Kennel Club, said: ‘Congratulations to Bruin and Lee for closing this year’s competition with a truly outstanding win and for taking home the prestigious Best in Show title.

‘Their connection and skill in the ring have shone throughout, making them thoroughly deserving champions.