Claudia Winkleman has sported a full fringe and dark eyeliner for many years - but fans said they 'wouldn't recognise' her without those features. So here's what she looked like
Fans of Claudia Winkleman have been left stunned after a 1996 clip of the star surfaced – showing her before she became a familiar face on television.
The 53-year-old joined Strictly Come Dancing's results show as a co-host in 2010 alongside Tess Daly and later took over the main show in 2014 after Bruce Forsyth stepped down.
Known for her iconic full fringe and dark eyeliner, viewers were shocked to see how different she appeared as a youthful 24 year old in the throwback video shared by BBC archive.
The Instagram post is captioned: "Claudia Winkleman on how to improve your pulling power. OnThisDay 1996: Claudia Winkleman had some top tips and choice chat-up lines to help men and women alike, to improve their pulling power. Clip taken from Good Morning with Anne and Nick, originally broadcast 3 May 1996."
In the footage, a young Claudia, dubbed a "chat up connoisseur", dishes out flirting advice for both men and women.
Fans couldn't help but comment on her transformation, with one saying: "She's a beautiful lady - she doesn't need to hide behind a fringe and eyeliner."
And one pointed out: "Her hairstyle suits her so much more than having a fringe 1⁄2 way down her face. The natural colour looks better too."
Either way, we think Claudia looks fantastic!
Claudia Winkleman started lighting up our screens back in 1992 with an appearance on the BBC favourite, Holiday. Later in the '90s, she popped up on This Morning, sharing screen-time with celebs as a reporter.
She really hit her TV stride in 2001, heading up Central Weekend, a buzzy regional talk show. Before long, she waltzed into our hearts with Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two and soon sashayed onto its flagship show.
She's also been the host of countless hits like The Great British Sewing Bee, The Big Fat Anniversary Quiz, Britain's Best Home Cook, and The Traitors.
It's rumoured that The Traitors season 4 will start filming this spring or summer, which could mean an early January 2026 comeback.
The BBC said on Instagram: "The time for talk is over... The Traitors has been commissioned for a fourth series as well as a nine-part celebrity version for iPlayer and BBC One - and series three has already been filmed in the Scottish Highlands.
"But that's not all - The Traitors: Uncloaked is coming back to @bbcsounds and iPlayer too!"
