Life as I know it
Claudia Winkleman talks embarrassing her children and loving cheap chocolate
Not a lot of people know this but I’m very good at… napping. I can nap at 6pm and still have a good night’s sleep. It helps that I never drink caffeine. I had a cup of coffee once and was awake for about four days.
My nickname is… Sausage. It’s what my mum calls me. That was fun when I started dating. “Sausage! Jeff is here!” Now I’m the same with my children. I like to embarrass them at all times.
My favourite TV show is… I have so many, I can’t choose. OK, The West Wing. I watched the whole thing when I was pregnant and it stayed with me.
My perfect evening is… when the kids have done their homework with joy in their hearts, and they are skipping around passing each other protractors. Then I’ll have a bath with the little one and wash my hair with Head & Shoulders Suprême Strength Shampoo, which is guaranteed to make me sing and put a spring in my step. Then we’ll come downstairs, have a curry and watch a movie. That would be the dream.
I’d like to say sorry to… everyone who’s ever watched me on telly. Apologies for the orange face and the fringe and the bright white lipstick. I can’t apologise enough.
My first kiss was… with a boy called Stephen. We were at a party. I think
I was 16. At first I thought he was trying to lick my cheek. I was so confused. I thought, “Why is this boy so close to me?” And then I looked around and everyone was snogging. I was alarmed. I put the whole thing off after that.
The best thing my parents taught me was… everything. They taught me how to be interested, and that is the key.
Don’t worry about being interesting, worry about what everybody else is saying.
If I could pass any law I would… make sure nurses were paid properly. What they’ve done through the pandemic is extraordinary.
The last time I cried was… Oh I cry at everything. I will snuggle with the kids and watch a movie, and I will totally go. They’re like, “Mum, are you joking?” I just watched Enola Holmes, that made me cry.
The first single I bought was… Blondie’s Atomic. I was about seven and it was major. I played it 20 times a day. Debbie Harry was, and remains, the coolest woman on earth.
The most expensive thing I’ve splashed out on is… the house, which the bank owns basically. I also bought a very fancy coat once but I haven’t really worn it because I’m a bit too scared.
Who would play you in a film? Alice Cooper. I would insist on it.
‘Cheap chocolate is my greatest weakness’
My greatest weakness is… chocolate. But it has to be cheap chocolate. I don’t want the fancy stuff.
If you had half an hour left on earth… I’d cuddle the kids. All of them in a big huddle, along with my husband. Easy. Ⓢ
Claudia Winkleman is the ambassador for Head & Shoulders Suprême Collection with Dual Oils. The range comes in versions for Strength, Colour, Repair and Moisture, RRP £4.99