Claudia Winkleman has become a familiar and treasured presence on British TV, presenting flagship programmes like Strictly Come Dancing and the newer hit The Traitors.
At 53, Claudia has been remarkably open about her ongoing battle with a serious eye condition known as myopia.
In one candid discussion on Gabby Logan’s ‘The Mid Point’ podcast last December, Claudia delved into her vision struggles and the numerous surgeries she’s endured.
Expanding on the issue, she revealed that her eyesight has gone from being nearsighted to farsighted, which complicates her ability to read.
Sharing the extent of her difficulties with Gabby, 51, Claudia confessed: “I’ve had lens replacement. I’ve had so many operations on my eyes.”
She continued, explaining the impact of these procedures: “I had a lens replacement in my left eye because my astigmatism was so bad but I was minus 16, but that was 14 years ago and then I had a little fiddle with but because I was so short sighted by then fixing it I’m now long sighted so I can’t really read anymore. I can with glasses, I’ve got plus 2.5 but I can’t read The Bee Sting with those glasses and that light.”
Claudia isn’t one to shy away from discussing her health battles; on another occasion, during the How To Fail podcast, she opted for a broader look at her personal experience with eye issues, reports Surrey Live.
Claudia Winkleman has candidly discussed her vision issues, linking them to her appreciation for the “blurriness” in art and life.
She admitted: “I’ve always had terrible eyesight. Which is going back to the blurriness of the paintings I like and the blurriness of how I really like life to be. I’ve had a couple of operations since then because I was just banging into walls. But now I wear lenses or glasses or whatever.”
The beloved TV presenter has faced challenges due to her poor eyesight, which has affected her ability to perform typical presenting tasks such as reading an autocue.
In a 2021 interview with The Sun, she revealed: “I can’t even begin to tell you how blind I am. It’s embarrassing. I can’t read the autocue. My eyes have deteriorated so badly, I’m not meant to drive. I am doing the wrong job.”
Despite these hurdles, Claudia remains upbeat and continues to be a cherished presence on British television.
She will be hosting the Graham Norton Show tonight (Friday, February 28) at 10.40pm on BBC One, with guests including Hollywood actor Chris Pratt and comedian Rob Beckett.