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Claudia Winkleman seen without trademark fringe in rare photo of The Traitors presenter

Claudia Winkleman seen without trademark fringe in rare photo of The Traitors presenter

It's not Claudia without the fringe

Claudia Winkleman is known for presenting shows such as The Traitors and Strictly Come Dancing.

But she's arguably even better known for her iconic full fringe, which keeps her forehead - and sometimes even her eyes - fully covered.

The look is now synonymous with the 52-year-old presenter, and sparks multiple memes every time she steps onto our TV screens.

With a haircut this iconic, it feels almost treacherous to imagine Claudia without a fringe - however pictures of her fabled forehead do exist.

Dig deep enough into the depths of the internet, and you'll find photos of Claudia in her younger years with a number of different hairstyles. From side fringes to messy blowouts, it appears that the presenter is just like the rest of us and has experimented with numerous hairstyles.

A recently unearthed photo from 2001 has given us a glimpse at Claudia sans fringe, heavy eyeliner and and orange spray tan.

Claudia and her go-to hairstyle. (Lia Toby/Getty Images)
Claudia and her go-to hairstyle. (Lia Toby/Getty Images)

The photo was taken during a trip to Italy, where she was filming for BBC travel series Holiday on a Shoestring.

However, its extremely rare to see a more recent photo of The Traitors star sans fringe. Suspicious right?

Before you let your imagination get away from you and begin to fear for the fate of Claudia's forehead, there's a pretty straightforward reason as to why she doesn't deviate from her haircut.

Speaking during an interview with OK! in November 2023, Claudia opened up on why she sticks to one specific hair and makeup look, adding that she would never ditch the look.

"No, never. I can't, I don't even know what's under there, squirrels? Bowls of cereal?" she said.

The presenter hasn't always sported a full fringe. (BBC)
The presenter hasn't always sported a full fringe. (BBC)

Claudia went on to add that she fears that changing her look would even lead to her losing work due to its iconic status.

"I've got absolutely no idea. I can't be without the fringe," she joked.

"We're together, hopefully, the fringe will always be there. I'm pretty sure that's why I got work, they'd go: 'Who's the orange one with the fringe again'. I've got to keep the fringe or I'll lose my job!"

The fringe also has practical benefits for Claudia, as she went on to add that having the hairstyle is an easy way for her to 'automatically dressed'.

"You can be very shoddy, which I am, my makeup's badly applied, [I have] toast crumbs all over my sweater but if you've got a fringe you're automatically dressed," the presenter added.

"You need one, everyone needs a fringe."

Featured Image Credit: (BBC)

Topics: Celebrity, TV, UK News