Claudia Winkleman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Claudia Winkleman MBE
Winkleman in 2017
Born	Claudia Anne Irena Winkleman (1972-01-15) 15 January 1972 (age 53) London, England
Alma mater	New Hall, University of Cambridge
Occupation	Broadcaster writer journalist
Years active	1991–present
Employer	BBC Channel 4
Spouse(s)	Kris Thykier ​ (m. 2000)​
Children	3
Parent(s)	Eve Pollard (mother)
Relatives	Sophie Winkleman (half-sister) Sir Nicholas Lloyd (step-father) Sally Soames (aunt) Lord Frederick Windsor (brother-in-law)

Claudia Anne Irena Winkleman is a well-known English TV presenter and writer. She was born on January 15, 1972. She is famous for co-hosting the popular BBC One dancing show Strictly Come Dancing. She also won a BAFTA award for presenting the exciting BBC One reality show The Traitors.

Early Life and Family

Claudia Winkleman was born in London on January 15, 1972. Her mother is the author and journalist Eve Pollard. Claudia grew up in the Hampstead area of London. When she was three, her parents divorced. Both of them remarried when she was seven years old.

Her mother married newspaper editor Sir Nicholas Lloyd. Her father married children's author Cindy Black. Through her father's marriage, Claudia has a younger half-sister, actress Sophie Winkleman. Sophie is married to Lord Frederick Windsor. Claudia also has a younger half-brother, Oliver, from her mother's marriage. Claudia went to the City of London School for Girls and then studied art history at New Hall, Cambridge.

Television Career Highlights

Claudia Winkleman has had a long and successful career in television, hosting many different types of shows.

Early TV Roles

In the 1990s, Claudia often appeared on the BBC series Holiday. She even traveled around the world for a special documentary. During this time, she also worked as a reporter on shows like This Morning, where she interviewed many celebrities. She also presented game shows like God's Gift and Talking Telephone Numbers.

Hosting Daily Shows

In 2001, Claudia got her first big daily TV job on Central Weekend. From 2002 to 2004, she hosted Liquid News on BBC Three. This show gave updates on entertainment news and featured celebrity interviews.

In 2003, she started presenting a daily update show for Fame Academy on BBC Three. She did this again in 2005 for the celebrity version, Comic Relief Does Fame Academy. Also in 2005, Claudia began hosting Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two, which is a show that goes along with Strictly Come Dancing.

Prime Time and Major Shows

Winkleman in 2008

Claudia started presenting many prime time shows. In 2007, she hosted the third series of Comic Relief Does Fame Academy with Patrick Kielty. She also co-hosted the Eurovision Dance Contest in 2007 and 2008 with Graham Norton.

In 2009, Claudia hosted the new series of Hell's Kitchen on ITV1. In 2010, she became one of the new co-presenters of the Film programme.

Recent TV Successes

From 2013 to 2016, Claudia presented the BBC Two sewing competition The Great British Sewing Bee. In 2015, she appeared on Watchdog to talk about how her daughter was badly burned by a Halloween costume that caught fire. This incident helped lead to stricter safety rules for costumes in the UK.

From 2018, she presented Britain's Best Home Cook for BBC One. In 2022, Claudia became the host of the very popular BBC reality game show The Traitors UK. She won a BAFTA award for this show. She returned to host the second series in 2024 and the third series in 2025.

In 2023, Claudia also hosted The Piano on Channel 4. This competition gave amateur pianists a chance to perform at London's Royal Festival Hall. The show has been renewed for more series.

Strictly Come Dancing

Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two is a show that goes with the main Strictly Come Dancing competition. It helps viewers understand what's happening in the main show. Claudia Winkleman was the original host of Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two when it started in 2004.

In 2010, Claudia became a co-host of the Sunday night results show for Strictly Come Dancing, working alongside Tess Daly. In 2014, Claudia's role on Strictly Come Dancing grew even bigger. She became the main co-host of the Saturday night live show, taking over from Bruce Forsyth.

Writing Career

Claudia Winkleman started her writing career as a travel writer. She wrote columns about her trips around the world for newspapers like The Sunday Times and The Independent. As her TV career grew, she started writing more about general lifestyle topics, like womanhood and relationships. She wrote for magazines such as Cosmopolitan and Tatler. From 2005 to 2008, she had a regular weekly column in The Independent called Take It From Me.

Radio Work

Claudia has also had a significant career in radio. In 2008, she hosted a six-part comedy quiz series called Hot Gossip on BBC Radio 2. She also hosted Claudia Winkleman's Arts Show on BBC Radio 2, where she interviewed people from the arts world.

She often filled in for other presenters on BBC Radio 2, including Dermot O'Leary and Ken Bruce. In April 2016, she started her own Sunday night show on BBC Radio 2 called Claudia on Sunday. In 2020, this show ended. On November 23, 2020, it was announced that Claudia would take over the Saturday mid-morning slot on BBC Radio 2 from Graham Norton. Her last Saturday morning show was on March 23, 2024.

Charity Work

Claudia Winkleman has supported many charities. In 2007, she helped answer phones for the Disasters Emergency Committee to help people in Darfur. She also supported The National Missing Persons Campaign and a Christmas campaign by the charity Refuge, which works to stop domestic violence.

In 2011, Claudia was one of the presenters for Comic Relief, a big charity event. In 2012, she was a judge and host for the FilmNation shorts at the British Film Institute. This project encouraged young people to get involved in filmmaking.

In March 2025, Claudia Winkleman was appointed a trustee of the British Museum. She said she was "deeply honoured" and hoped to help the museum share history for everyone's benefit and education.

Personal Life

In June 2000, Claudia Winkleman married film producer Kris Thykier. They have three children together.

In October 2014, Claudia's eight-year-old daughter was seriously injured when her Halloween costume caught fire. Claudia said the costume touched a lit candle in a pumpkin. This event led to the UK government making safety rules for Halloween costumes stricter.

Her half-sister, Sophie Winkleman, is married to Lord Frederick Windsor, who is part of the British royal family.

Honours and Awards

Claudia Winkleman was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2025 Birthday Honours. This award was given to her for her great work in broadcasting.

Filmography

Television Shows

Radio Shows

Images for kids

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  Winkleman in 2017

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  Winkleman in 2008

See also

In Spanish: Claudia Winkleman para niños