Claudia Winkleman has the most iconic hair in show business. Famed for her Goth-glam fringe, the presenter, who is about to have her very own talk show, is a lifelong devotee. "I haven't seen my forehead for about 15 years. I don't even know what's under my fringe - there could be squirrels, parrots - I've got no idea," she joked to HELLO! in 2018. "But no, I can't imagine ever getting rid of it."
© PA Images via Getty ImagesThe idea of Claudia without her fringe is like Ant without Dec, Batman without Robin, Romeo without Juliet, but back in 2002, the TV star had yet to unveil her signature look. In an unearthed photo from the noughties, The Traitors star and her husband, Kris Thykier, attended the Lighthouse Auction at Christie's in London, and a then 30-year-old Claudia was well and truly in her side fringe era, opting for a whisper cut.
How Claudia found her trademark look
For the mum-of-two, life without her heavy fringe seems unimaginable now, and she's assured fans time and time again that it's not going anywhere. Revealing the origin story of her trademark style, Claudia told Grazia: "Growing up, I always had a fringe. I would often pair it with bunches, I mean, buckle up, how disgusting is that?! Years later I went, had a fringe cut, and it was quite – and this is the worst word in the whole world – whispy – so I had to go back and I said, 'Can I have an unapologetic fringe? Really heavy'.
"I think my fringe starts at the back of my head, it's got more weight to it than a tonne of bricks," she continued. "They gave it to me and I knew that was that. You have to make much less effort when you have a really heavy fringe."
© BBCIn her January interview with the publication, Claudia explained that she has her fringe trimmed once every two months, and frequently turns to prolific hairdresser, George Northwood, for a much-needed refresh. "He's the love of my life, I've proposed to George many times," the TV star quipped. "Let your fringe get a little long and OTT."
For Claudia, one of the best things about her hairstyle is that it's low effort, high reward. "So here's why I love a fringe and why I think most people should have one. You just don't need to try so hard," she wrote in Tatler in 2014. "Number one: your face can basically fall off and wrinkle up like a Shar Pei. Underneath my curtain of dark-brown hair, I look at least 110. You're dealing with a woman who used Mazola as a sunscreen from 1988 until 2001. So that's the first thing: let your face fall apart, don't worry about all those injections, and nobody will know," she joked.
© Getty"Number two: you're late for the school run, and you're wearing old pregnancy leggings and a 'hilarious' Star Wars T-shirt you gave your husband 15 years ago, and you're in mismatched - dare I say it - Uggs. You've got a definite, non-apologetic fringe? Don't worry - you're still looking sort of cool. A fringe does so much work for you. You're making a small statement with a sharp set of bangs, even if all you can bear to wear is jeans and an old jumper. A fringe will save the day."
