Strictly presenter Claudia Winkleman has potentially the most iconic hair in the country. The nation would recognise her fringe anywhere.
But the star once revealed she was told that her fringe needed taming after she secured the prestigious job of co-hosting Strictly.
Claudia joined the popular BBC show’s spin-off It Takes Two in 2004. She was then promoted to Sunday results show host before officially co-hosting the main Strictly Come Dancing show with Tess Daly in 2014.
Strictly host Claudia Winkleman on her famous fringe nearly getting the chop!
Previously speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival about accepting the role, she said: “Danny Cohen [controller of BBC One at the time] gave me the job and phoned me up and said: ‘We’d love you to do it.’ I said: ‘Thank you so much, that is such an honour.'”
However, it came with a clause. Claudia said that Danny continued: “‘I’m just going to need a phone number from you,’ and I was like: ‘Oh yeah, okay, which one?’ and he said: ‘Your hairdresser’s.’ I was like: ‘Bit weird, controller of BBC One.’ Two days later, James, who does my hair, said: ‘This guy called Danny phoned up to complain about the length of your fringe.'”
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Her luscious fringe made her almost “invisible”, she revealed he told her. She recalled: “He [Danny] was like: ‘You can have this job, but it’s just annoying it’s down to your nose. You want to be on telly, but you’re invisible.'”
Claudia also spoke about how she didn’t let the pressure of a female-fronted show get to her. She said: “I felt incredibly nervous at the time but the two women thing, the biggest show on television by miles at that point, ratings-wise, in recent history, was Bake Off, and that was hosted by two women. So I was, like, I’m not even pulling on that string.”
The Traitors and The Piano host had previously said that her fringe landed her in hot water with some fans. Claudia referred to herself as a “walking fringe” and said she often gets letters of complaints from viewers.
Read more: The Piano star Claudia Winkleman on her ‘terrible’ eyesight: ‘It’s embarrassing’
The Piano continues on Sunday (May 12) from 9pm on Channel 4.
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