Strictly's Claudia Winkleman's fake tan fail in 'worst' experience

Strictly host Claudia Winkleman is known for her signature look, complete with heavy black eyeliner, a full fringe and a glowing tan - but it hasn't always been plain sailing

Claudia Winkleman is as famous for her striking black eyeliner and iconic fringe as she is for her love of a good tan. However, it's not all been smooth sailing in achieving her signature bronzed look, with Claudia hilariously recounting some of her beauty mishaps.

One such incident involved a fake tan blunder that reminded her of a classic Friends episode. The 52 year old TV star, who openly admits to being a 'tanorexic', once said: "I feel better when I'm orange" - and she's willing to go to any lengths for that sun-kissed glow. "I am burnt orange. I will use anything for my fake tan. I would use gravy. I have used mud before. I will use a brown Sharpie," Claudia candidly revealed. But mastering the art of self-tanning wasn't always within her grasp, reports OK!

Recalling her first foray into fake tanning booths to Get The Gloss in 2014, Claudia recounted: "You've seen the episode of Friends when Ross gets sprayed in the eyes three times in a row and ends up the colour of teak? Yup. My experience was worse. I had NEON hands and a very patchy face. Nice." Despite regularly facing fake tan disasters, Claudia remains undeterred, admitting that she has dreadful moments with the product "every time".

She revealed: "Wrists, ankles, neck – it's always mottled and odd-looking. People, this is a small price to pay. Tan up and look on the positive side – you're not transparent." Claudia, known for her signature self-tan look, shared another mishap she encountered with the challenging beauty routine. "Weirdly my hair is the least of my worries. I've only got my hair, that's what I'm holding onto, everything else has gone to pot. My attempt at fake tan was a disgrace. I woke up with a whole handprint of it on my face," she told Grazia Daily in 2020.

The TV star also reflected on her journey to self-acceptance and said: "There is something amazing about your late 40s. In my 20s I was a bit angsty, in my 30s it was all about babies. But my 40s have been great, my late 40s even better." Now fully owning her look, Claudia encourages others to be themselves without fear of judgment and added: "I don't think anybody should hold judgment. I have three tans a week for goodness sake." She humorously describes her appearance as akin to a "male mature French student who's 52 and on his way to a physics lecture."