The Traitors and former Strictly Come Dancing host Claudia Winkleman, who celebrates her birthday today, has faced a number of health issues over the years, including a chronic condition
Claudia Winkleman has faced a number of health battles over the years (Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for BFI)
The Traitors’ presenter Claudia Winkleman, who turns 54 today (Thursday, January 15), is one of the UK’s most recognisable TV stars.
She worked on Strictly Come Dancing for 15 years before announcing her departure at the end of the last series. Her star has continued to rise as she fronts The Traitors and its celebrity spin-off while she is set to host her own BBC chat show this spring.
Claudia is also a mum-of-three with her husband of 25 years Kris Thykier but life has not been all plain sailing.
Her life has thrown up some serious health challenges, including one that left her feeling “embarrassed”.
Claudia has spoken candidly about her ongoing battle with myopia, an eye condition where distant objects appear blurry due to an issue with focus. The chronic eye condition resulted in a number of operations which mean she “can’t really read anymore”.
Speaking to Gabby Logan on her Mid-Point podcast, she said: “I’ve had a lens replacement. I’ve had so many operations on my eyes.
“I had a lens replacement in my left eye because my astigmatism was so bad I was minus 16, but that was 14 years ago and then I had a little fiddle with it but because I was so short sighted by then I’m now long sighted so I can’t really read anymore.
“I can with glasses, I’ve got plus 2.5 but I can’t read The Bee Sting with those glasses and that light.”
Around one in three people in the UK suffer from myopia. Claudia admits she has always had terrible eyesight.
During a 2021 interview with the Sun, she revealed she is “embarrassed” at the situation as she struggles to read an autocue – a key part of the job for a television presenter.
She said: “I can’t even begin to tell you how blind I am. It’s embarrassing. I can’t read the autocue. My eyes have deteriorated so badly, I’m not meant to drive. I am doing the wrong job.”
Poor eyesight is not the only health condition Claudia has battled against. She also opened up about a long-term health issue that left her “falling apart”.
She said that after not “standing up straight” for all her life, she is now working with a Pilates instructor to correct her posture.
Speaking with Gabby Logan about her issue, Claudia said: “My body is made entirely of crepe. [I’m] falling apart.
“I’ve got a bad back and I need some form of strength. You know what I mean? I’ve got my core.
“They talked to me about parts of my body. They said, ‘The problem is you’ve never used your lats’. I was like, ‘What is that?’. Apparently, so my shoulders are up by my neck. I’m always like (demonstrates her posture).
“And I don’t like the look of people standing up straight. It feels somehow cocky, so my stance has always been like a turtle.”
‘Lats’ refers to the latissimus dorsi muscle, one of the largest muscles in the back. Pilates can help improve major muscle groups, posture, flexibility, strength, balance and body awareness.”
Speaking about a slightly less serious issue she has faced, Claudia also revealed she had an invisible brace fitted after learning her teeth were becoming crooked.
In what she called a “mid-life crisis”, the TV star admitted she uses Invisalign.
Speaking to the Emma Guns Show back in 2018, she said: “They’re part of the mid-life crisis, I’ve got Invisalign in. My teeth suddenly went crooked, one morning they all decided to fold in front of each other, you couldn’t do anything with them so I got this, I’m slightly in love with it. They’re so clever.”
Catch Claudia on The Traitors tonight (Thursday, January 15), at 8pm on BBC One. This season’s finale airs next Friday (January 23).