Just As Well, The Women's Health Podcast - Claudia Winkleman on Workplace Nerves, Beauty Essentials and Embracing Failure

Episode Date: May 4, 2021

What’s it like to be counted down and know that, in seconds, you’re going to be speaking live to millions of people across the UK? Nerve-wracking, according to Claudia Winkleman, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. Whether she’s dazzling presenting Strictly or chatting into the mic for her Radio 2 show, the broadcaster, mother-of-three and Head & Shoulders ambassador still gets a real buzz of excitement. As at-home as she appears, she tells our editor-in-chief Claire Sanderson in today’s episode, that she might not do it perfectly, but that that’s okay. Because – according to Claudia – perfection is overrated and ‘failure is excellent’. It’s the approach she brings not only to her job, but also to parenting – and maintaining her health – and in today’s episode, she breaks it down. Claudia is a real joy to listen to - listen on for her number one energy hack; her skin and hair care essentials; and her strategies for raising a confident teenage daughter. Join Claudia Winkleman on Instagram: @claudiawinkle Join Claire Sanderson on Instagram: @clairesanderson Join Women's Health UK on Instagram: @womenshealthuk Like what you’re hearing? We'd love if you could rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, as it really helps other people find the show. Also, remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, so you’ll never miss an episode. Got a goal in mind? Shoot us a message on Instagram putting ‘Going for Goal’ at the start of your message and our experts could be helping you achieve your health goal in an upcoming episode. Alternatively, you can email us: [e-mail] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's it like to be counted down and know that in seconds you're going to be speaking live to millions of people across the UK? Nerve-wracking, according to Claudia Winkleman, but the broadcaster wouldn't have it any other way. Whether she's dazzling presenting strictly or chatting into the mic for her Radio 2 show, the broadcaster and mum still gets a real buzz of excitement. And as at home as she appears,

she tells women's health editor-in-chief Claire Sanderson in today's episode that she might not do it perfectly every time, but that's okay because, according to Claudia, perfection is overrated and failure is excellent. It's the approach she brings not only to her job, but also to parenting and maintaining her health. And in today's episode, she breaks it all down. Hello, I'm Roshin-Devichokane,

and this is Going for Goal, the weekly Women's Health podcast. On this show, we call on top experts to share the tools you need to make good on the health goals that really matter to you. And on episodes like this one, we chat to our favourite celebrities and wellness heavyweights about what they do to feel and function at their best. Claudia's a real joy to listen to and her and Claire cover a lot of ground. Listen on for Claudia's number one energy hack, her skin and hair care essentials, and her strategies for raising a confident teenage daughter.

Over to Claire. Hello everyone. I'm Claire Sanderson and I'm the editor-in-chief of Woman's Health. Welcome to Going for Goal. Today, I am joined by a lady who hosts my all-time favorite TV show. No joke, no joke. I'm a massive Strictly Come Dancing fan. It is Claudia Winkledon. Hi, Claudia.

How are you today? Thank you so much for having me on. And thank you for being so lovely about the show. Well, and it's not just strictly that you're keeping you busy these days, is it? I was doing my research and you're hosting your radio show on Radio 2. celebrity best cook. You wrote a book in lockdown while homeschooling that baffles me as a well who tried. I've got quite a lot to say about that. I've basically wrote the book so I could get out of homeschooling. Oh. Because I wasn't very good at it and I tried and always at the

beginning of every lesson. I was like, come on, we can get to grips with this. And 20 minutes later, I was like, mate, should we just have some smarties and put the telly on? So I turned to my husband. I was like, look, I've got to go upstairs and do something. Can you be in charge? And he was like, yeah, all right. Goodness, it was hard, isn't it? Because we have sons the same age. You have Arthur, who's nine. Yes.

Yes, my little Zach is eight. So a similar age. And it's quite hard to persuade boys to do work, isn't it? I found. Well, yeah, and also, but it was just hard for them. Because I think, and the teachers were phenomenal. I mean, I always love teachers, but now my respect for them is through the roof. Because it was hard with one.

How did they do it with 25 or 30? So they blew my mind. And he needed, because my other kids are so much older, 18 and nearly 15, he sort of needed other little nine-year-olds, I don't know about Zach, to sort of tumble around with. And then maths isn't so bad because you've been in the playground and you've had a laugh and you've had a snack. And, you know, you're kicking a ball around, whatever it is.

But with me, anyway, I felt just bad for them. But thanks to the teachers for keeping it going. I think boys struggled more than girls. I have a five-year-old girl as well. And my experience of girls, and you probably know this from Batilda, they're more able to just entertain themselves. Or I do think boys need that sort of energetic interaction, don't they? And I did really feel for myself not having his football team to go and play with.

Yeah, and his gang. Well, my dogs are also found it hard. So I don't know whether it's a male-female thing. It might be an age thing. I think if you're five, if you've got some stickers and a biscuit, the world's all right. Yes. And mummy around. But I think once you get older, my daughter's, yeah, as I said, nearly 15.

And she just missed the chat with her friends. And they were all on the phone. But anyway, so I'm so grateful. So thanks to the teachers and to everyone for getting them back. So it was a tough year. But in the midst of all that, you did manage to film, strictly come dancing. And it was all socially distanced. But nonetheless, amazing.

How did you find that? We're grateful that people watched. Well, I don't think the energy looked like it suffered as a viewer. And it's quite remarkable that you, well, is it remarkable that you and Tess host Strictly come dancing? You're both women, you're almost 50, 10thus 51. That wouldn't have happened, would it, 10 years ago? Do you think that society is progressing in his attitude to slightly older women being visual and out there? I hope so.

But actually, I don't think anyone would have minded it. 10 years ago or 20 years ago or 30 years ago. I mean, my mum, I know she doesn't host strictly, but she's a brilliant human and was a newspaper editor and is on telly a lot, whether she's reviewing the papers. I don't think anybody's sitting there going, well, hold on a minute, how old is she? I think we do the public and injustice

if we think that they're not interested. I think they would have accepted it any time. And the biggest show of all was Bake Off. and that was hosted by two women. And, you know, I think, I think it's fine. So times, you're absolutely right. It would have been fine 10 years ago, but it took the media some time to catch up.

One thing is wonderful about you from doing all my research is that you actually, you love ageing. You love being in your 40s. So there's some wonderful quotes here that you spent your 20s worrying, your 30s being pregnant, and in your 40s, you've smashed it. Well, I wouldn't say that I've smashed it.

I love getting older. And I, I mean, you're talking to a woman who asked for a crochet set for 21st. I mean, I didn't do young well. I'd be in a nightclub going, I'm not being funny, but I'm not sure this is safe. There are too many people around that area. I mean, I was a bit angsty and a bit, oh, what am I going to do with my life? And then 30s, I loved. I was just literally at home licking a small puffin, not a natural puffin,

But I love getting older. You know, I can't wait to be 50. It's not that I want time to go fast, but I'm absolutely fine with it. And I'll still look the same. I mean, I want to look like Jean Simmons or Alice Cooper. So it's not like I want to look young and bouncy and fresh. I want to look, well, like a pirate, like an aging pirate,

and that's all right. You could do that at any age, turns out. And you've said that you find age in deeply free, You say, I've fallen apart, but that's amazing. Everything wobbles and that's great. Where do you think that confidence comes from to own the ageing process? Well, I think my parents, definitely, because they always, I was brought up in a house without mirrors.

So my mum is a huge believer and my dad in The Shell is only that. That can't be it, what I look like, how I've done my eyeliner, even though obviously I love eyeliner. That can't be, that's not the shits, the same. stuff is the inside, the chat, the brains, the laughs, the loyalty, the kindness, the cooking an extraordinary roast chicken. What you look like is the least interesting thing about you, it's got to be, because it is all going to fall apart. And I hope I've passed that on to my kids as well. So you have Matilda, and she's almost 15. It is, it's tough for teenage girls these

days, isn't it? There's comparison on social media. What armour do you put in place to make sure that she's the most robust to go on in life and not feel, have low body confidence and all the other things that we hear. No, no. Well, I think there are also two ways of going about everything, and that is negatively going, oh, it's just going to be, it's a disaster, or positively. And I forget to go on social media, I'm rubbish, but that's because I'm 49. She absolutely loves it.

It's the new village green. It's the new town market. You know, that's how they sort of chat to each other and hey, I'm over here and I'm doing this and I'm doing that. She's clever and she's funny and she's loved and I hope she never feels wobbly about what she looks like. I mean, we all do it different times for different things. I put a whole bottle of sun in in my hair when I was about till this end

because I wanted to be blonde. That might happen. She died a hair pink the other day. I'm all right with it. But no, I hope we will give her what my parents gave me, which is a sense of actually what's important, and it's not that. I mean, she is funny as hell,

so I'm very proud of that. She gets that from my mum then. Well, I don't know. Her dad's funny too. Oh, your mum is Eve Pollard. She was a pioneer in newspaper editor, as you said. She edited the Sunday Mirror, a newspaper I used to work on, by the way.

I came up through tabloid newspapers 20 years ago. What example did she set you as a word? working mum? Well, just that you could. And that was phenomenal for me. It wasn't like, look, you have to pick. And sometimes, of course, it's hard. And she was editing a Sunday newspaper, but she'd still come home on a Saturday night, put me to bed and then go back. Wow. And, you know, she doesn't like the phrase having it all. She never like that because nobody ever asks a man, right? Nobody says, sorry, sir, can I just, I just like to confirm. So you have a nice Sunday lunch and you've got kids and you work. How are you having it all? I mean, it's just a nonsense

to ask women. So she taught me that you could and she taught me that family comes first and she taught me that eating together is important and to be respectful, but to try and find something that you enjoy doing, which I have. I don't know how long I'll do it for. I can hear a dog. I'm very excited. But yeah, well, she taught me everything my parents. And another thing that she taught you was to not conform to gender stereotypes in your relationship. And I read that she gave you a lovely piece of advice. Don't do anything well. So, you know, message.

Well, don't do everything well. Don't do everything well. So you could do some things well. You don't have to be brilliant at everything. And I think much more than maybe it comes from social media, the idea that we all have to be perfect at everything, you know, perfectly puff cushions and amazing. amazing cauliflower cheese, a kid that's got into Oxford, a thrilling conversation on the phone,

maybe doing a photography course and taking beautiful. Like, you just don't worry about it. I mean, her advice was put a pink sock in with the whites and your boyfriend at the time or your flatmates, they'll take over washing. I mean, you don't have to be amazing at everything. So I think, you know, failing is excellent. So the message really is just cut yourself some slack and be forgiving. to cut ourselves some slack, yeah, and just take a load off.

Absolutely. We're good enough. And if we can take that, go through life with the attitude that we're good enough, then we'll all be far more content. Yeah, exactly. So this podcast talks to people about wellness and their wellness journey. And your approach actually made me laugh because you said, I don't do any form of sweating.

I've never even taken my makeup off before I go to bed. I never take my makeup off. My dreams, I'm just much more. fun of my dreams if I don't. So what is wellness to you? You must do to something to practice self-care. Yes. Yes. Well, I mean, I've got quite a lot to say about self-care, which I probably shouldn't because it would come out wrong. I tell you what I do love. I love sleep. So that is my greatest present to myself. So even if I've slept well, if I can, I'll have a nap. Even when I was working in an office, I would just close my eyes for 20 minutes.

And if I'm really well rested, so it doesn't like that pressure to get eight hours every night. You don't have to, even if you get six hours, that's fine. But have a nap at some point in the day, even if you do it after the school run. It's quite hard if people are at the office all day, but nobody's at the office all day. So definitely put in a fake meeting, lie down,

don't get fully under the covers, don't close the curtains, but lie there, close your eyes. That's my favourite thing. I have a long bath and I read all the time. And I suppose those are the things that are... I mean, I also, are you aware of a shop called Space NK? Oh, I am, of course, yes. Right, it's my favourite.

It might be my favourite destination. That's the first place I'm going when we're allowed. Not even to buy, just to walk around and smell. That's enough for me. I don't need to have 900 unguents and put different eyebrow cream on. But just the knowledge that it's there, that you can pick something up, that there's Brazilian bum-bum cream, whatever that is. But I'm excited about it.

I love that. And, yeah, so I like that kind of thing. I like a good lip salve. I love Blisties, classic, old-fashioned. That's really all I do. Is there something about your beauty routine that might surprise people? Well, just how useless I am. I love Yvloam.

Somebody gave me a bit of a cream by Augustine Bader. Is that how am I saying that right? Not sure. Well, that's extraordinary. That's magic. in a tub. That's going to change everybody's life. I only put a tiny bit on my face. I went to sleep. I woke

up. I looked 11. And I don't look 11. I look 78. But I love fake tan. I've used gravy when I couldn't get hold of fake tan. I've used old tea bags. I use anything to get that orange glow.

And I'll wander around Space NK, just holding pots of delicious looking things. That's basically all I do. I've always thought if I, at the end of an evening, if I'm leaning over a sink with some toner on some cotton wool looking at my image in the mirror, then I will know that everything's gone absolutely wrong. That is my signal that life isn't as I wanted. Is that your dog? It's not one. I don't have one. I do have a dog. I'm working from home at the moment. It's a cockapoo. He's a puppy. He's six months old.

Unfortunately, he doesn't understand, be quiet for half an hour. No, I love him. Good. I just thought I'd mention it because anybody who was listening go, wow, Claudia's tummy's making a weird. And should I tell you his name? His ridiculous name is Derek. Derek's a great name. We've got Derek the Cockapoo who had his nets off last week. He had his bit stun because he was quite Randy.

So he's in recovery and he's a little bit moody at the moment. So, yeah, lockdown puppy. But, yeah, he's a little bit of a pain in the bottom. Now, you mentioned fake tan there. It's one of your signature looks, isn't it? Fake tan. Where did that one from? Fake tan came from, you're too young to remember this.

But I'm just going to tell you anyway, 100 years ago, there was a product called Ultraglow. And it was like a pat of just brown. Just like a solid piece of something. that could make you teak. And my mum used it. And I've always forever been in love with, I think it's Girlat and it's called Terracotta.

Yes. I've got one of those. It's an unbelievable product. Yeah, the powder. The powder. And I just sort of put some on my face and suddenly felt, I'm going to, it's a big word,

but I'm going to say it alive. And that was it. That was my love affair. And I'm naturally blue. And it takes me a month. And I love Freckos. even get a freckle or any colour. It would take focus in the sun. And then all of a sudden there was this world where you could buy creams, you could buy moose, you could do it in the shower. I don't

have a preference. I mean, anything that will turn me up a level, I'm happy to use. So yeah, I love, I basically, I like orange on my face, black on my eyes and white on my mouth, and then I'm good to go. And it has never changed. So you have a spray tan girl or you more the creams. And more a spray tan. Yeah, I love a spray tan. I love a spray tan. I do.

You just feel so much healthier, don't you? You just come out to go. You feel zingy. I'm having one tonight. It's thrilling. Lovely. No, your hair, you're also known for your fringe. Your wonderful, heavy, glossy, beautiful fringe.

And you are an ambassador for forehead and shoulders, which is a great union. So what do you do to maintain your hair and scalp health? Well, you see, I've used head and shoulders all my life because my stepdad and my mom had it, and they had five kids between them. It was excellent value. If you asked me to draw a shampoo bottle, that's what I would have drawn. Does that make sense? So I was approached by other hair people and I was like, yeah, but I don't really. And then head and shoulders said, listen, love, we've heard you use us.

And I was like, yes, I do. It makes my hair shiny because, and I don't know how else to explain this, because it cleans my hair. hair like no other shampoo. You know, I don't take it with me on holiday unless I really organise and remember and I'm a terrible packer, but in the older days, when we used to go on holiday, I'd go and I'd use other shampoo and my hair would feel a bit dull because it cleanses in a different way and they've got this new range out. I just have to mention it called Deep Cleanse and it gives you 72 hours protection and there's one called scalp detox. It smells, you just have to trust me, Claire, it smells like a dream and you put it in. You put it in

in and it does something different to my hair. So I come out, I don't dry it, I don't, I use head and childless conditioner, I comb through in the thing, wrap my head in a towel, forget about it and it makes my hair shiny. And I don't understand the science because I'm an idiot, but that is my answer. And is it something, do you wash your hair less because, so you, that's better for your scalp health if you wash your hair less? I wasn't about twice a week. Wow. About twice a week, sometimes once. This week I've done it once, but that's, so you, so you, so you, so you, That's also because I look disgusting and I'm at home. But it makes my hair.

So I don't want flyaway hair. And I don't want sort of fake heavy. You know when you put product, I never put product in it, when your hair feels sort of lank and heavy. But what it does do is it adds gumption to hair. And I don't know how else to describe it. Yeah. Lovely words.

I mean, the classic head and shoulders is like yogurt. I mean, it's white. And somebody's helped from head and shoulders as well, I love my favorite thing. They said, the key is, like in your house, head and shoulders looks after the carpet. I was like, what are you talking about? And they were like, it's the scalp.

So if you go into any house, I mean, I can dust forever. But if I hoover, I've got a different kind of house. And that's what it is. It just goes to the root, if you like, of the situation. So I love it. So several times during this conversation, and before we even started recording, you've got, oh, I look a mess.

And you're terribly self-deprecating, aren't you, for a woman who has achieved so much is loved by so many. Well, you're very sweet. Well, I do look like a mess. I mean, if I look, if I'd had a tan yesterday and I'd wash my hair this morning, I'd be like, Claire, look at me, swishing my hair around. But no, right now I look, well, I look like meatloaf.

I love meatloaf, no offence to him. So you'll still be doing your heavy black eyeliner, even when you're wearing caftans in your 70s, then surrounding white beckos or whatever. Oh, my gosh, yeah. I'm going to collect cats and I'm going to have an eyeliner down to my eyeliner down to my chin. That's the, that is, that's the dream. I hope I live that long and that's what I'm doing. With all little grandbabies around you, hopefully. Oh, that's my dream. You can be as inspiring to them as your mum is to you. So you have a new job at the moment. So you are hosting Saturday mornings

on BBC Radio 2, a huge responsibility following on from Graham Norton, whom I love. How is that going? Well, we've done four. I mean, the first one, I could barely speak. I was really, really, I guess, get very nervous doing strictly as well. I just, it's not because I know I'm doing anything important. I realize I'm not, I'm not a doctor, I'm not a nurse, I'm not a frontline worker, but you just don't want to mess it up. And following Graham, who I love more than life itself, was, I just felt really nervous, but I've loved it. And what's amazing, and I know this, this might make you whole is the radio two listeners, they tell you immediately. So we get thousands of texts. We had somebody this week saying, um, why she dumped someone.

somebody because she'd asked him to go and get her a nice chocolate bar and he came back with a kit cat and she was like, mate, a kit cat's a biscuit. It's not a luxurious chocolate bar and dumped him. And we've got 7,000 texts going, you're not going to believe this. This is why I dumped somebody. This is what I love about it is it's immediate. And they're looking after me and so far it's going okay. But will I be nervous for the next year? Yes. I think it will take that long. If I'm not fired, if I'm fired, I understand. So even after all these years of hosting the biggest TV show in the UK, you still get nervous. You still get stage fright. I do. I do. Well, stage fright, I think is debilitating. I can still manage to speak and I wouldn't want to degrade people who get

proper stage fright. That feels mean. But I do get incredibly nervous. And anytime I've done something and I'm not nervous, I'm really useless. So I think I actually need it. I mean, I loved exams at school. I love my finals. I love my A levels. I'm trying to teach my kids. that but I like being tested. I like being put on the spot. I like that in five, four. I like the fact that at 10 a.m. I have to, I'm live on Radio Toe and I'm driving the desk and that's what's happening and, but with it definitely comes some nerves. I'm not laissez-faire. I'm not cool about any of it. So you mentioned driving the desk, which I know is radio speak for choosing the music that you play. So what was the first song you played on your first radio two show? Can you remember? Of course. And it had to be. And it had to

because the first songs are very important because you're just setting out your stall. And driving the day, we all choose the music. I mean, I can have a say, but radio two are basically in charge. Driving the desk is, it works like driving cars, making it happen. So you press the buttons and it's this and it's that. And then you fade and you blah. But my first song was Help by the Beatles and I liked it. And why did you choose that one?

Well, just because I was in over my head. I said I've only got one word and it's this. And then it went in. I loved it. Well, Saturdays are going to be busy for you later in. the year, aren't they? They certainly are. Goodness me.

But then I will stay in bed the rest of the week. I will. I will. I'll just do the school run. I'm quite good at absolutely shutting down. So people go, you're busy. I'm like, no, I'm just currently working on Saturdays. And only till 1pm, how lucky am I?

But then when it steps up, I'll just, the rest of the time, I'll just protect. So we are coming out of lockdown as we're recording the, and life hopefully is going to change for the better. What are your hopes for the rest of 2021? I hope the people who have saved us and looked after us get the recognition they deserve. I hope that we have all learnt how lucky we are when we can see friends.

I'm not talking about big parties. I'm literally talking about eight of you round a table, eating, you know, roast potatoes. So I hope we've all learned from this experience on who to receive. and who to glorify and just the little things. Literally going for a walk. I go for a walk with one friend and we're socially distance.

And then a lot, you know, my girlfriend's my everything. We've all been best friends for 100 years. And the idea that I go for a walk with two of them, that would be majestic. It's the simple things. It's the tiny stuff, yeah, tiny. There has to be some positives out of there. There's been terrible misery and heartache for. for millions, but we have to take some positives about what's happened.

And I do think that appreciating the simple things in life and realizing that we don't all have to be so materialistic and, you know, have the best stress. I don't need to get on a plane. I don't need a new outfit. I don't need anything. I will be thrilled to sit across a table with five of my girls laughing and serving them inedible tuna melts sandwiches. That's the dream. Love a tuna melt. So the name of this podcast is going for goals. So what is your goal, your number one goal at the moment?

Oh, my number one goal is being able to cope when my son leaves home. I don't know how I'm going to do that. That happens in September. And my goal is, yeah, just to look after and be there for the people I love. I don't have anything else. Dramatic. I'm afraid. I feel probably people have said really good stuff.

like they want to climb Everest, but I don't. I just want to look after my family and friends. Well, that's lovely. Is Jake going to university in September then? Oh, big move. I've tried to put him off. I've tried to put him off. I've told him, no, home's fun.

Stay with me. But no, it'll be great for him. Oh, it will, it will. And is he going to go away for it as well? So he's going to be too far for you to just pop round and check he's eating more than just beans. Yes, but I think I'll still manage to pop round. I'll be accidentally passing through. You know how mum's do.

Yeah, just rock up. He'll appreciate the shopping. Yeah, if I bring food, exactly. Exactly. If my member turned up with two bags from Asda, they would have been happy. Exactly, exactly. That's what my mom used to do with me. She was like, I know you didn't want to see me, but I've got some spare socks and, I don't know, a huge chunk of cheddar.

I was like, yeah, all right. Yeah, coming in. Come in. Well, Claudia, it's been an absolute joy to speak to you today. And thank you. Well, good luck with everything. Good luck with the radio show. And good luck with Strickley.

When it comes back on... Well, good luck with you and your little babies. I know they're not babies, but they're always babies. Yes. And that new puppy. The new puppy, who I should go downstairs and let out so he stops barking. Oh, he's so cute. You have been listening to Claudia Winkelman interviewed by Women's Health Editor-in-Chief Claire Sanderson on the Going for Girl podcast.

As ever, if you want to comment on anything that we raised in this episode, get in touch, all the details of how are in the show notes. Now, we know that you lot love when we're going to be. we do episodes of the pod focused on things like self-confidence and body image. So if you want to learn more, keep an ear out because we are going to be dropping a four-part mini-series aimed at helping you improve your confidence, sponsored by Phillips. It's part of our Project Body Love initiative. And if you want more things, body confidence and self-love, you can register for the Project Body Love event, which is running from the 15th and 16th of May.

The link is in the show notes. That's all from Going for Gold this week. We'll be back next Tuesday. See you then.