Claudia Winkleman on The Graham Norton show
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Strictly star Claudia Winkleman on her ‘terrible’ eyesight: ‘It’s embarrassing’

'I am doing the wrong job'

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Strictly Come Dancing host Claudia Winkleman once opened up about her “terrible” and “embarrassing” eyesight – and has even had to undergo several surgeries.

The TV favourite is one of the UK’s go-to presenters, hosting shows like Strictly, The Traitors, and this weekend on December 15, The Piano at Christmas.

However, Claudia battles with a “terrible” eye condition that is incurable.

Claudia Winkleman on This Morning
The TV star has opened up (Credit: ITV)

Claudia Winkleman’s ‘eyes have deteriorated so badly’

Claudia was born with myopia. This is an incurable eye condition which seriously affects her sight. The TV star was born with a -15 vision. In a bid to improve it, and her quality of life, Claudia has undergone several surgeries.

I’ve had a couple of operations since then because I was just banging into walls.

“I’ve always had terrible eyesight. Which is going back to the blurriness of the paintings I like and the blurriness of how I really like life to be,” she revealed on the How to Fail podcast.

Strictly host Claudia Winkleman on This Morning
Claudia recalled the horrific ordeal which happened in 2014 (Credit: ITV)

Claudia underwent ‘couple of operations’

She went on: “I’ve had a couple of operations since then because I was just banging into walls. But now I wear lenses or glasses or whatever. But everything is ish, it’s just a vague idea which is how I’d like to live. I don’t want to live in perfect land, I want to live in fuzzy world.”

Claudia added: “If there’s perfect here, people who want things to look good and ordered and alphabetised and organised, and then there’s the other end, I’m past the other end. I like irregular and ramshackle and messy. Just look at the way I do my eye make-up. I’m not very good at neat.”

Claudia Winkleman says it’s ’embarrassing’

Speaking more about her condition, Claudia told The Sun in 2021: “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.”

What’s more, Claudia has also previously claimed that she has “never really been able to see her face” due to her eyesight.

Read more: Claudia Winkleman admits school kids ‘missed their train’ to watch The Piano: ‘They all sat on the floor in the station’

Catch Claudia on The Piano at Christmas on Channel 4 on Sunday December 15 at 4:05pm. 

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Joey Crutchley
Freelance Writer