Trinny: Why I can’t resist fixing other women’s problems
Two superb supplements, two brilliant new columnists
SHE spent years dishing out frank advice to women about which clothes they should – and definitely should not – be wearing.
And now Trinny Woodall says her time spent as a sartorial counsellor – as well as her experiences during a tumultuous personal life – have left her unable to resist trying to sort out other women’s problems.
Today she brings her unique take on life and its ups and down to The Mail on Sunday – with a new troubleshooting column in You magazine.
In an exclusive interview in the magazine as she launches the column, Trinny, 54, says: ‘I want to hear from women who feel stuck in a rut and, rather than ask their best friend, need a fresh take on something.’
The former star of television’s What Not To Wear, which she hosted with Susannah Constantine, brings a wealth of hard-won wisdom to her new role.
Trinny has overcome drug and alcohol addiction, divorce, and the tragic death in 2014 of her ex-husband Johnny Elichaoff, the father of her teenage daughter Lyla.
She says: ‘I’ve had my fair share of life experience and if I feel something is relevant to the women writ- ing to me, I’ll talk about it. I’m not a psychiatrist but I know women well. And You is the magazine I most relate to as a woman.’
Trinny says her closest confidant is her partner of four-and-a-half years, the multi- millionaire art collector Charles Saatchi. ‘He’s my best friend. When, like me, you’ve already got your own child, home and income, a relationship has to add something different to your life – you’ve ticked all the other boxes.’
Trinny shot to fame with Susannah thanks to their often- brutal fashion advice on What Not To Wear, a BBC show they hosted for five series between 2001 and 2005.
Now she runs her own make-up brand Trinny London, has a makeover slot on ITV’s This Morning programme and issues daily style and beauty tips to her 700,000 social media followers.
Trinny, who reveals that she sought therapy in the past for her problems, says: ‘It gives me a buzz to think that I’ve helped a woman shift her self-image. Hearing that is the most rewarding thing. Making a difference is what gives me passion and energy.’