claudia winkleman 2021
TV

Claudia Winkleman’s rise to fame: From ‘Holiday’ to ‘Strictly’ host

She's had an enduring showbiz career!

Claudia Winkleman is a television host and media personality that’s been on our screens for seemingly decades now.

But how did Claudia get her first big break? And what about her personal life? Get the answers to these questions and more below..

What age is Claudia Winkleman?

Claudia was born on January 15 1972, which as of January 2021 makes her 49 years old.

claudia winkleman
Claudia has regularly appeared on British telly since the early 1990s. (Credit: SplashNews)

How did she first become famous?

Claudia started out with an absolute dream telly job – as a travel host.

In 1992 she began appearing on Holiday, a BBC One show that sent its lucky hosts off to various glam and exotic locations.

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She proved such a hit on the show that she went on to host her own spin-off which saw her travel the world over a 34-day period.

Her bubbly and relatable persona led to Claudia earning various additional hosting spots – including interviewing A-list celebrities for ITV.

claudia on strictly bbc
Claudia is now synonymous with Strictly Come Dancing (Credit: BBC)

She also hosted several gameshows in the 90s, including Three’s A Crowd.

From 2002-2004 Claudia served as a daily entertainment reporter for BBC Three.

And in 2004 she began hosting Strictly’s It Takes Two, the popular Strictly Come Dancing spin-off show.

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Flash forward to 2o14 and she became the official co-host of Strictly Come Dancing alongside Tess Daly.

Additional stand-out roles include hosting The Great British Sewing Bee from 2013-2016 and as a host of Sport Relief from 2010-2018.

She’s also had plenty of radio presenting work, including Claudia on Sunday on BBC Radio 2 from 2016-2020.

Who is Claudia Winkleman married to?

Claudia is married to film and television producer Kris Thykier. His recent work includes executive producing the new Netflix show Fate: The Winx Saga and the Sky series Riviera.

The pair married in 2000 and they share three children together: Jake, 17, Matilda, 14 and Arthur, nine.

claudia winkleman and husband
Claudia with her husband Kris Thykier (Credit: SplashNews)

What happened to Claudia Winkleman’s daughter?

Tragedy struck in 2014, when her daughter Matilda, then eight, was rushed to hospital with burn injuries. Her Halloween costume had caught alight from a candle lantern while trick or treating.

She suffered severe burns to one of her legs, and Claudia went on to profusely thanks the NHS nurses for caring for her child.

Poster

In her book Quite, she penned: “There have been moments in my life, the most terrifying, the most confusing, the most discombobulating – that have led me to believe that the greatest people who walk the earth are nurses.

“They are kind, they are clever, they work incredibly hard, they are there to save us, or to help us through it when saving is simply not possible.

“They hold your hand when your child is going in for an operation, they hold your hand when the surgeon says there’s bad news, they hold your hand when the doctor says the medication isn’t working.”

claudia winkleman tess daly
Claudia and Tess Daly are best mates both on and off screen (Credit: ITV)

What is her net worth?

According to The Express, Claudia Winkelman has an estimated net worth of £9.4 million.

Is her mum famous too?

Both of Claudia’s parents are fairly well-known media personalities. Her mum, Eve Pollard OBE, is a former British tabloid editor and has written several bestselling books.

While Claudia’s stepfather, Sir Nicholas Lloyd, is a former editor of various tabloids.

Claudia’s birth father is Barry Winkleman, who is a former publisher. Eve and Barry separated when Claudia was just three.

claudia winkleman's mum eve pollard
Claudia’s mum Eve Pollard is also famous (Credit: SplashNews)

What is Claudia working on in 2021?

Lockdown isn’t stopping Claudia from still being one of the most in demand hosts on British telly.

She is currently hosting Celebrity Best Home Cook on BBC One. And she is expected to return to her Strictly Come Dancing hosting duties later this year.

Meanwhile, her quirky ads for Heads & Shoulders continue to air on television.

best home cook judges
Claudia with the Best Home Cook judges (Credit: BBC)

How to watch Celebrity Best Home Cook 2021

Celebrity Best Home Cook kicks off on January 26 at 9pm on BBC One.

Previous episodes will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Will you be watching? Let us know on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix.


Nancy Brown
Associate Editor