BBC presenter Claudia Winkleman has been on our screens for over 20 years – but some fans are convinced the Traitors star uses her distinctive look to live unrecognised in public
Fans of Claudia Winkleman are convinced the presenter has been leading a secret double life right beneath everyone’s noses. The British television personality rose to prominence in the early 1990s following her studies at Cambridge, making her first appearance on the BBC’s travel programme Holiday!
Today, she is most recognised for hosting Strictly Come Dancing and The Traitors. Yet, some fans suspect she has been concealing a secret from the public – and it’s revealed through her signature dark hair, orange makeup and dark eyeliner.
One Reddit user commented: “I think she does this so that off camera she goes without makeup and wig and lives a normal, private, life.
“My main pieces of evidence that hair is obviously a wig, and her make-up gets more horrible every time I see her, it’s like a badly done mask.”
Responding to their theory, one user remarked: “It’s not entirely an act, but there’s definitely a huge element of it that involves leaning into a specific ‘look’ for when she’s performing that makes it easier to separate public and private life.”
“Panda eyes, spray tan, and fringe is her brand, but it’s also a sort of uniform that she wears for work.
“Dolly Parton famously does something very similar (heavy makeup, wig, sparkles) that’s not a ‘fake’ version of herself per se, but is her brand/look for public performances.”
Another user suggested: “I believe she personally uses this look as a sort of armour that protects her from the world and desexualises her.”
A third commenter remarked: “I mean, you are correct! She has given several interviews where she discusses the fact that her ‘look’ makes her deliberately unrecognisable without makeup – she talks about how she can go to the shops without an issue! I do think the hair’s real though. A brand choice.”
Meanwhile, another user stated: “I’ve seen her in person at a swanky London members bar. Sorry to burst your bubble, but she looks exactly like that in person!”.
This follows a throwback clip from 1996 resurfacing, showing the presenter long before she became a household name on Strictly Come Dancing.
The Instagram post, featuring the footage, was captioned: “Claudia Winkleman on how to improve your pulling power.
“OnThisDay 1996: Claudia Winkleman had some top tips and choice chat-up lines to help men and women alike, to improve their pulling power. Clip taken from Good Morning with Anne and Nick, originally broadcast 3 May 1996.”
In the extract, a youthful Winkleman, described as a “chat up connoisseur”, offers flirting guidance aimed at both genders.
Viewers were quick to share their thoughts on her appearance before fame, with one writing: “She’s a beautiful lady – she doesn’t need to hide behind a fringe and eyeline.”
Another observed: “Wow. Looks so different but her voice and mannerisms give it away.”
Whilst a third fan commented: “Lovely woman inside and out, then and now.”
