Viewers have been left astounded upon discovering an old snippet featuring a young , looking and sounding quite unrecognisable. At the tender age of 24, the now beloved television personality was already causing a stir in a nostalgic piece from the vaults.
As a fresh-faced ‘dating expert’ and ‘Chat up Connoisseur’, a pre-fringe Claudia graced the screens on the ’s morning show with Anne and Nick. Back in a 1996 episode of One’s Good Morning with Anne and Nick, the future star divulged her “flirting tips” to co-hosts Nick Owen and Anne Diamond.
She candidly shared that while she didn’t get approached often by suitors, when it did happen, she was “very excited.”
Claudia underscored the role of “eye contact” and narrated a comical scenario: “Eye contact. It’s all eye contact but it can be terrifying.”
She added, with a hint of humour, how one could end up “making eye contact for an hour and a half and then he’ll leave. ”
Strictly’s Claudia Winkleman looks and sounds unrecognisable in unearthed clip from 90s (Image: BBC)
Addressing if ladies like being pursued, Claudia suggested they did, yet playfully hinted at women being the instigators at times, saying: “If a girl comes up to a guy saying ‘do you want a light?’, she’s got four boxes of matches in her bag. She does not want a match, she wants something else.”
Highlighting male bashfulness, she said, “Boys are so sweet and I don’t think they realise. The fear of rejection is huge – they have to embrace it.”
This throwback clip has been resurrected on social media, astonishing fans at just how much Claudia has transformed over the years both in appearance and voice, reports
A clip of a 1996 interview with Claudia Winkleman has been shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, with one user commenting: “I can’t stop watching this 1996 interview with Claudia Winkleman that is 0% fringe and 100% posh phone voice.”
The BBC star sounds and looks a far cry different to how fans are used to (Image: BBC)
Another agreed, stating: “This era of Claudia and Victoria Coren Mitchell were separated at birth and you can’t convince me otherwise.”
One person highlighted her upper-class accent, remarking: “No why does she sound like a member of the royal family?”
Another fan chimed in with: “Claudia: The Princess Diana Years.” Someone else wrote: “Surely this clip is actually from the 1950s…she’s speaking like she’s just nipped out of the typing pool.”
Claudia made her return to television screens on New Year’s Day as series three of The Traitors aired on One.
BBC viewers saw Claudia return to screens in the latest series of The Traitors this year (Image: GETTY)
After a year-long break, a new group of contestants from various backgrounds entered the castle in the Scottish Highlands, all vying for the substantial £120,000 cash prize.
After a series full of twists and turns, viewers saw faithful’s Leanne and Jake walk away with the cash prize, splitting a staggering £94,600 between them.
The Traitors is available to watch on iPlayer.