Claudia Winkleman thinks she looks like she’s "slept in a skip".
The ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ presenter has revealed that her mother, Eve Pollard, banned all mirrors from their house when she was growing up – and that has led her to develop her own distinctive style.
She said: "I was brought up by the strongest and most brilliant woman I’ve ever come across – my mum.
"She was strong and fantastic and taught me everything I needed to know in being female. ‘We weren’t allowed any mirrors in the house, which would explain how I do my make-up … and the fact I look like I’ve slept in a skip.
"I was 15 going out saying, ‘Mum, I need to know how I look, give me an idea!’ She’d say, ‘fine’; she wanted to teach us that appearance is a waste of time, it’s not in the least bit important."
Claudia, 44, said that her mother – who is an author and a former editor of several tabloid newspapers – used to stress the importance of being intelligent, rather than looking good.
The TV host told the Daily Mail newspaper: "Read books, be funny, be clever, be chatty, this is how you make an omelette … She was, and still is, my role model."
Sue, meanwhile, has praised her daughter for refusing to obsess about her looks, despite the scrutiny she is under.
She said: "I think it’s important to teach girls that they are people first and looks second. Frankly, mirrors are for brushing your teeth and that’s about it – and I hope this has stood her in good stead for her career now.
"Claudia works in one of the most vanity-obsessed industries and, yes, of course she uses the ‘Strictly’ facilities and the spray tan, but the basics are actually about her being silly, funny and smart when she needs to.
"When I see [pictures of her with make-up everywhere], I think ‘good for her’."
Claudia Winkleman: I look like I sleep in a skip
