Politics
Strictly’s Claudia Winkleman reveals she’s quit booze, has never drank a glass of water and has no mirrors at home
STRICTLY host Claudia Winkleman has revealed she doesn’t drink alcohol and has never drank a glass of water in her life.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun, the 49-year-old has lifted the lid on her health habits ahead of her Radio 2 show debut today.
Claudia Winkleman is sober after quitting booze[/caption]
While a recent poll found many of us have been boozing more than ever in lockdown, Claudia has not.
In fact, she has all but given up drinking, she says, because she reacts badly to it or just falls asleep.
Thankfully though, she has not started Joe Wicks-ing or dieting.
Claudia, who replaced Bruce Forsyth as Tess Daly’s Strictly co-host in 2014 after six years presenting spin-off show It Takes Two, is genuinely one of the least vain stars on TV.
While she has previously claimed not to keep a single mirror in her house — as a red carpet appearance at the 2013 GQ awards would testify, when she rocked up with eyeliner virtually down to her chin — today she insists she does not own any scales, something virtually unheard of in the body obsessed world of female celebrity.
She also refuses to use the camera function on Zoom because she has no desire to see “Alice Cooper’s dad staring back”.
With the laugh of someone genuinely not giving a toss, Claudia adds: “I have definitely put on weight because I can no longer put on anything with a button or a zip.
“Any stiff closure is not going to work for me right now.
The 49-year-old admits she’s put on weight in lockdown[/caption]
“But I don’t weigh myself and I don’t care. I just know that the jeans I was wearing in November would now no longer get on my arm. I am very relaxed about it, I genuinely am.
“I don’t have an exercise ‘regime’, but I do like walking and do about 5,000 steps a day.
“I don’t drink water — I have honestly never, ever drunk a single glass of water — I eat chocolate and am a bit of a sugar addict.
“But I don’t really drink any more. I had a glass of Bailey’s, with lots of ice, on New Year’s Eve, but half a glass of wine makes me want to go to sleep. I’m just not a very good drinker.
“We like eating a lot as a family and we have the two teenagers cooking, taking on different meals.
Claudia credits feminism for the success of her 20-year marriage to movie producer Kris Thykier[/caption]
“And when a little person says, ‘Mum, I’ve made a jacket potato and cheese and beans, and then I’ve made a chocolate mousse’, I’m not going to stand there and say ‘actually, I’m just going to have some lettuce’.
“Of course I’m going to get stuck in — and I’m going to eat it all. I really don’t care, and simply turn off the camera for all Zoom calls.”
Claudia also says the secret to her 20-year marriage to movie producer Kris Thykier is never having to cook her husband’s dinner.
She says she has never subscribed to any of the traditional boy/girl roles of previous generations, and thanks her Scandinavian partner for his modern take on marriage.
Claudia and Kris were set up by mutual friends in the late 90s[/caption]
“How did we survive lockdown?” muses the mum of three. “Kris is very Danish in his ways.
“So it’s not up to me to make dinner, it’s not up to me to make lunch, and it’s not up to him to take the kids outside to play catch.
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“In 20 years of marriage he has not once asked me what’s for dinner. I married a feminist, my mum wouldn’t have let me not.
“He makes the bed better than me. He is tidier when it comes to the kids’ bath time.
“He gets them to school on time and makes a magnificent chicken. I have never, ever sewn on one of his buttons, he’s just better at it.
“I have no idea why or how we’re still together.”
