As season four of The Traitors comes to an end—the final episode will air on the BBC tonight, 23 January 2026—the UK finds itself a nation in mourning. The hit BBC show has been a fixture on our screens since New Year's Day, acting not only as a constant source of intrigue, conversation and debate, but a much-needed distraction from the incessant January gloom. One thing that is sure to endure, however, is the allure of Claudia Winkleman's wardrobe.

The country-chic outfits worn by the show's presenter were an undisputed highlight of each episode, offering a fabulously Scottish Highlands-coded aesthetic that is at once fashion-forward, deeply practical and easy to replicate—and that has kick-started the so-called 'Traitors effect' in more ways than one.

First, it's largely thanks to Claudia's Traitors wardrobe that pieces once strictly reserved for traditional British countryside-dwellers are now considered the height of cool. I'm talking heritage tweed coats, kilts, gilets, waxed jackets, chunky knits and hiking-style boots, all of which have been given a new lease of life thanks to Sinead McKeefry, the stylist behind all of Winkleman's show looks.

McKeefry's clever styling choices, playful clothing combinations, mix of high-low labels, and impeccable eye have had a far-reaching impact—not just in providing fresh sartorial inspiration for the season ahead, but in terms of spotlighting under-the-radar brands, too.

"I always create mood boards and have a character in mind to focus on—that really points me in the direction of where I need to be researching," explains McKeefry of her process.

"Fortunately, it has meant I have discovered some smaller independent brands which work perfectly alongside more high-end brands and high-street brands. The aesthetic lends itself to British brands, and Scottish and Irish ones too, which feels really authentic to the show. I love the element of surprise when you see something unexpected from an independent brand mixed with an established one like McQueen, Givenchy or Burberry."

Given that The Traitors boasts millions of weekly viewers, McKeefry's styling choices have, in turn, introduced a multitude of independent brands to a vast new audience. In season four alone, Claudia's looks have done wonders for small brands like The Landskein, Le Kilt, Hambro & Miller, Grenson, Purdey, Duke + Dexter, Connolly and Johnstons of Elgin in exposure alone—not to mention that the exact pieces she has worn have, almost universally, quickly sold out.

One such brand that has hugely benefitted from the so-called 'Traitors effect' is Madeleine Thompson, whose black and white cashmere jumper was worn by Claudia in episode four. "We had no idea prior to the episode airing that we would be featured, so we experienced the complete shock and joy in real time which was unbelievable," says Thompson. "We have since had hundreds of orders of the Tamino Top that Claudia wore, which has been completely mind-blowing, exhilarating and challenging at the same time."

"I think Sinead and Claudia have created their own quintessentially British vibe which manages to be utterly elevated, directional and aspirational with an edge, whilst simultaneously being what women essentially just want to wear every day," continues Thompson.

"The way that Sinead openly champions small brands like mine is significant and rare. She tags and retags and sends out direct shopping links to make it as easy as possible for viewers to buy... I cannot emphasise enough how important this moment has been for my brand and I do not take it for granted.”

More than just dressing Claudia Winkleman, then, in many ways, it can be said that through The Traitors, McKeefry is in fact dressing a whole nation. "I think it’s been refreshing for audiences to see looks that are inspiring and playful mixed with looks that are more wearable," she says of the unprecedented public response. "I receive lots of messages from people who have recreated Traitors looks on the high street by incorporating tweeds and knits, and this season a huge number of people are buying kilts especially."

It’s a reminder that some of the most influential, far-reaching fashion moments don’t always come from the catwalk—they can just as well come from a castle in the Highlands, too.

Shop Claudia Winkleman's Traitors Style

No game show has had me hooked quite like the BBC's Celebrity Traitors over the past couple of weeks. And as thrilling as this series was, I still can't stop thinking about presenter Claudia Winkleman's outfits.

Styled (to perfection) by Sinead McKeefry, the heritage-core-inspired looks feature a classic rock 'n' roll element that is notoriously Winkleman, while adhering to the Scottish highlands' rocky terrains.

Incorporating hard-working wardrobe basics in the form of Fair Isle jumpers, chunky knits, Chelsea boots, and must-have coats, the popularity of her looks came as no surprise, as we inch closer to winter.

Even though the show is now over, I still keep looking over Claudia's outfits for everyday dressing inspiration, as well as her fun approach to party wear — complete with tinsel jumpers and tulle skirts.

Below, I've rounded up my top seven looks from this season's show, that are as easy to recreate, as they are stylish.

The Opening Look

Winkleman's effortless, playful approach to dressing never misses the mark; this is especially true with the wool poncho she wore for this season's first episode. With the word 'celebrities' printed across the back, the presenter set the scene for what was true to be a season full of must-see looks and plenty of drama.

The High-Low Look

This outfit is exactly what I want to be wearing right now as an alternative to my go-to jeans. Favouring a high-low approach, Winkleman paired a grey Prada pleated midi skirt with an oversized brown Zara coat. To finish off the look, she added a knitted jumper vest, tights, and her trusty pair of flat ankle boots.

The military jacket and wellies

Pairing a funnel-neck military jacket from Chloé, over a ruffle-sleeve blouse, leggings, and a still-in-stock pair of Hunter wellies —this muted heritage-inspired look is a smarter way to dress down without compromising on style.

The Tartan Trousers

Winkleman's Traitors style is often characterised by her use of tartan kilts; however, this season she chose a pair of vintage Alexander McQueen tartan trousers instead. To complete the look, she wore a cashmere jumper, a wool jacket, and flat ankle boots.

The party-season ready look

The enduring appeal of Winkleman's looks lies in adding an unexpected touch to what would otherwise be considered a classic style. In this episode, she adopted the traditional party ensemble of a midi dress and a cropped jumper by layering a black Simone Rocha tulle sheer dress with a tinsel jumper, seamlessly contrasting two classic fabrics for the season.

The Maxi Tulle Skirt and Wool Coat

Chunky knits and oversized coats are a recurring staple for Claudia during filming of the Traitors, but for this outfit, Winkleman paired this classic duo with a voluminous lace Simone Rocha skirt for a feminine and practical look.

The statement jumper

Looking to polish your everyday leggings? Add a statement jumper. Not sure how to refine your denim for an evening event? Add a statement jumper. You can't go wrong.

DISCLAIMER: This article contains spoilers from The Traitors finale.

The Traitors is undoubtedly the most talked-about TV series of the moment. And from Claudia Winkleman's iconic knitwear to the behind the scenes secrets and casting tricks, The Traitors has been all anyone can talk about.

The show sees 25 contestants go head to head, with the two secret teams ('Faithfuls' and 'Traitors') working against each other to eliminate players over three weeks. And after season three's tense final episode on Friday night, 'Faithfuls' Jake Brown and Leanne Quigley were announced as the winners, splitting the £94,600 prize pot between them.

However, as the final five contestants reunited on spin-off show, The Traitors: Uncloaked after the result, it was runner-up Alexander Dragonetti who made headlines, with the 38-year-old former diplomat receiving a public apology from host Claudia Winkleman.

The Traitors host previously announced to the audience during one of the tasks that Dragonetti was single, something she has since admitted has opened Dragonetti up to a lot of online admirers and dating requests.

"I’m so sorry that I reported to the group that you were single," Winkleman told Dragonetti on the follow-up show. "I’ve had more messages about you," she continued, revealing that her inbox was full of queries about his relationship status. "More messages from friends of mine who were like ‘define single’", she added.

Fellow runner-up Francesca Rowan-Plowden added that she had also received messages about her friend and fellow Traitors competitor, recalling: "All my divorced friends have WhatsApped me like, ‘Can I have his number?’"

Winkleman went on to explain that she was even asked what Dragonetti smells like, something that prompted him to joke, "Please don't ask me that!"

All episodes of The Traitors are available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

We will continue to update this story.

Claudia Winkleman is the queen of suspense, and she's keeping us on our toes with how exactly the finale of The Traitors will work this year.

Season three of the runaway hit show began on New Year's Day and will end on Friday (already!). And this year, the finale is set to be even more dramatic, thanks to an unexpected twist that really ups the ante for the contestants.

In the first episode, players were told that in the finale, they would not learn whether each player who is eliminated is a Traitor or a Faithful until after the game is over.

Now, Claudia has praised the move as a really clever twist to what is already such an exciting game. "It's so smart of… the whole gang because it underlines the 'you think you know how to play,'" the presenter told journalists at a Q&A, as reported by Hello!.

"If any of you were gonna think, 'Come on let's just go in the castle, let's play,' you might have a way of working it out, right? Whether you want to be a Traitor or a Faithful. And I'm going to take this path, I'm going to throw this person under the bus."

But for Claudia: "This takes that away, all of that, and it goes back to the absolute main body of the show, which is trust and gut instinct. You're going to like the end, I hope. That's all I can say it. It throws it all on its head."

Further explaining how exactly this will all work, she said: "So at the end, I will thank somebody for taking part and they will just walk out so those remaining can't do anything, and I shouldn't speak everything in case I [ruin it]."

Comedian Ed Gamble, who hosts The Traitors: Uncloaked, is also a big fan of the new twist.

"I think it balances it a bit more," Ed told heat.

"Without this new twist, I think it's slightly weighted towards the Faithful just in terms of numbers. Then if they reveal when they go out, they can be pretty sure when they've got rid of all of the Traitors."

He continued: "So we'll see. I think it balances the game a little bit more. It certainly doesn't make it harder for the Traitors — it makes it slightly easier — but it's still all for the Faithful to win."

Major spoilers ahead

The Traitors is the most talked-about show of the moment, with season two captivating the nation from day one. 

Yes, from the drama and scheming, to Claudia Winkleman's iconic outfits, the BBC show is all anyone can talk about.

This season has undoubtedly been the most dramatic yet, from Paul's shock takedown to the Ross-Diane story-arc and her subsequent rise to icon status. 

This weekend however saw the drama rise to new heights, with the final taking place on Friday, and a winner controversially crowned. 

Yes, Friday's episode saw Andrew, Harry, Mollie, Jaz and Evie compete for the £95k prize money. And after the group chose to "banish" Evie and Andrew, it was left up to the final three: Jaz, Mollie and Harry. 

Ultimately, the finale saw 'faithful' Jaz go head to head with 'traitor' Harry, and in a nail biting climax, 'faithful' Mollie opted to side with her close friend Harry, who betrayed her to take the entire prize pot.

It was non-stop drama, and over on Traitors Uncloaked, it only continued, as host Ed Gamble interviewed Claudia Winkleman and the final five contestants.

It was Claudia Winkleman's words that made the most news, as she revealed how she chooses the traitors, even recalling that there was one 'faithful' that she was desperate to make a 'traitor' - and they're a fan favourite.

"I don't choose by myself," Claudia explained. "I choose with the brilliant producers and those conversations that I have are much longer than they appear on screen. They are persuasive."

She continued: "I really, really wanted to make Diane a Traitor, I can say that out loud. She was like 'Can you imagine me a Traitor?' Anyway, we thought we picked well."

Diane as a traitor would have been television gold, but according to the 63-year-old, it was hard enough being a faithful.

"I hadn't even watched The Traitors," she explained in a recent interview with Grazia. "To have got as far as I did was just amusing me. The whole way I was thinking, 'What in the name of god is going on?' Just keeping my head above water was a big enough game plan for me."

We will continue to update this story.

After weeks of nail-biting scenes and castle-based chaos, The Traitors finale is almost here. At the start of the year, 22 new contestants made their way to the Scottish Highlands to compete in the morality game, led by host Claudia Winkleman, and now just 8 remain. 

The first contestant to be sent home from the second season of The Traitors was 67-year-old Aubrey, followed by 66-year-old Sonja. As it stands, only one contestant over 45 remains - a fact that host Claudia says is "problematic".

Speaking on BBC Woman’s Hour, Claudia was asked whether in her opinion the show might have a problem with ageism. "I would like to sit down and have quite a few conversations about it," the presenter replied, before adding: "I don’t want to say anything because what if people haven’t watched?"

She then went on to say that she found this aspect of the series 'problematic', continuing: "I mean, lots of people haven’t and they’re listening now and they go ‘oh, this sounds all right’ so I’m not going to say any names, but yeah, it’s problematic. But then you’ll carry on watching and you will see. And that is all I can say."

It's also been noted that in this series, four out of the five contestants who have been 'murdered' by the Traitors have been women.

The gripping gameshow has proved to be a huge hit with fans, with an estimated six million people tuning in to see the first episode. The finale has been confirmed for Friday 26th January at 9pm, meaning that there are just three episodes left.

Claudia also went on in the interview to discuss the importance of 'power' in the game, explaining: "It is interesting what power does, and how people are often scared of power, and genuine magnetism is all I can say about anything, both in series one and series two. I think you either have it, or you don't. I'm just talking about my reality show here. Some people are compelling and people are drawn to them. To watch that is extraordinary."

Who has left The Traitors?

• Aubrey: Murdered
• Sonja: Banished
• Kyra: Murdered
• Brian: Banished
• Ash: Banished
• Jonny: Banished
• Meg: Murdered
• Tracey: Murdered
• Anthony: Banished
• Diane: Murdered
• Miles: Banished
• Paul: Banished
• Charlie: Murdered
• Charlotte: Banished 

The Traitors UK season 2 continues on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 9pm on Wednesday 27th January.

The Traitors quickly made a name for itself as reality TV competition gold when it first hit the BBC in late 2022. Claudia Winkleman is at the helm, and the show follows 22 people who have packed their bags and headed to the Scottish Highlands for a real-life murder mystery game, attempting to uncover who among them is secretly a Traitor in order to win a huge cash prize. 

While the premise is simple, the goings on at Ardross Castle are anything but. As the Traitors lie, scheme and backstab behind the scenes, the Faithfuls are left to work out who they can and cannot trust - and, of course, it often ends in lots of intense, highly-charged and heated interactions. 

Viewers have been watching The Traitors UK season 2 unfold, and it is fair to say there have been some utterly nail-biting moments - and if you're not caught up, this is your warning that there are spoilers ahead. 

At this point in the game, the group have only managed to banish one Traitor (Ash), with Paul, Miles and Harry remaining as the trio of secret schemers. On the other hand, they have successfully banished 4 Faithfuls at the nightly round table (Sonja, Brian, Jonny, Anthony) and 4 have been murdered (Meg, Aubrey, Kyra, Tracey).

Following Tracey's departure last week, host Claudia Winkleman issued a stern warning to the group during breakfast - and viewers believe this could be a turning point for the players. As she removed Tracey's photo from the wall, she said: "I loved Tracey. Im gonna give you a tally. We are halfway through. You have lost seven Faithfuls and you have caught one Traitor. Seven, one. I'd say that's a bit embarrassing. Stop worrying about who has got the jam, stop worrying about how you take your coffee and start paying attention."

Fans of the show have taken to social media to share their thoughts on Claudia's reaction, with on writing on X: "Claudia is disappointed in them all, 7 faithfuls and only 1 traitor gone."

Another added: "Claudia was Diane levels of stern there. Wow." 

A third said: "Claudia telling off The Faithfuls for doing a s**t job half way through."

Episode six was left on a cliffhanger, as Miles handed fan-favourite Diane a poisoned chalice in a bid to murder her in plain sight. However, viewers didn't see whether or not she drank from the cup, instead noticing how suspiciously she appeared to look at him. Fans are also rooting for Jaz, who seems to be onto both Paul and Harry.

Could this be the breakthrough moment that the Faithfuls need? 

The Traitors continues on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from Wednesday 17th January.

The Traitors, the gripping show that pits Traitors and Faithfuls against each other in the ultimate game of manipulation, is finally back. The second season kicked off last week and things have already got pretty heated among the contestants - and host Claudia Winkleman even admitted she was 'angry' over this format change. 

*Warning: Contains spoilers for The Traitors season 2.*

The first episode of The Traitors season two kicked off last Wednesday (3rd January 2023) and the show's host Claudia Winkleman was in control of choosing the first three Traitors. However, in an unexpected twist, it was revealed that the Traitors would select a Faithful to add to their scheming little gang, and they would go on to join them for the remainder of the game as an initiated Traitor. 

Speaking with the Radio Times, Claudia revealed that she's not too impressed with this latest development. She told the publication: "I, or we, weren't in control of the fourth, which was – not that I'm a control freak or anything – but I was angry about that!"

Harry, Paul and Ash were selected by Claudia as the original Traitors, who were then given the chance to pick a fourth. It was later revealed that they chose Miles, a 36-year-old veterinary nurse from Birmingham. 

Claudia explained to the Radio Times why she chose the original three Traitors, saying: "I think they were passionate. You can't show all of those chats because that would be hours, because I do talk to them for a long time. Paul was adamant, in the same way Alyssa was in season one. She was like, 'Give it to me. I've come here for this title and you've got to give it to me!'

"Harry, because he's compelling and I thought he'd play a good game with that whole, 'You want to kiss me, you want to punch me, I'm going to pretend to be an idiot'. You're not an idiot, so I look forward to what happens here. And Ash, because she really, really wanted to win the money, and she wanted to be a Traitor. They felt like a good trio."

The first season of the reality TV competition was hugely popular, with viewers eager for the second season to arrive. Now it's finally here, we're getting hooked all over again, with Traitors that are set to be much more 'brutal' this time around, according to host Claudia.

The Traitors UK season 2 will air on both BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 9pm, every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from Wednesday 3rd January until Friday 26th January. 

The Strictly Come Dancing host chats managing a busy schedule and her daily non-negotiables (including long showers, naps and a 9.30pm bedtime).

You'll all know TV personality and Strictly Come Dancing presenter Claudia Winkleman, most famous for her shiny hair, bold fringe and laissez faire attitude to life.

She's been on your screens for the best part of three decades and has a pretty star-studded CV, hosting the likes of Comic Relief, Sport Relief and her regular show on BBC Radio 2, alongside penning her column for The Sunday Times. But what really makes the presenter tick? What are her daily non-negotiables, and what would she say to her younger self, given the chance?

With the nineteenth series of the dancing show in full swing, we caught up with the presenter. Keep reading for her take on working out (she doesn't), last supper meal (roast chicken and jacket potatoes), and the best life advice she's ever been taught.

Claudia Winkleman: "I like things sort of decaying, including myself. I find that much more charming."

A: Hey Claudia. Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to us today.

C: I'm sorry I look so repellant. I don't have any mirrors. I've done the school run and I've come on here and I'm like, oh my god, I look like meatloaf.

A: I feel like life would be better if you didn't have to look at yourself all the time [referring to Zoom]. It's not not natural.

She thought what you looked like wasn't interesting. I was brought up without mirrors and we don't have any mirrors in my house. So [seeing myself on Zoom] is a shock.

A: Do you enjoy having no mirrors though? I think I'd quite like it.

C: Yeah, I do. I'm 49 now and it's all I've ever known. My friends go mad. If they'd come round, they're like, Claude, how do you check everything? And I'm like, I don't. I want to look a mess, as we know - I just put on eyeliner with my finger. And off we go.

A: Tell me about your Cannaray collaboration - have you always used CBD?

C: It's magical. I think we might have - I don't know if we went to them, I mean, that would be highly embarrassing. I'm a massive napper, that's just my life, I've always napped. It means I can get up, be springy, look after three kids, make different breakfast, get on the tube and say, "No problem!".

Then I'd come back and I would have time to myself. But in lockdown, I didn't. I felt slightly warp speed because I didn't have just that quiet, under-a-heavy-duvet-no-offspring-moment. My cousin Sarah - super hot and funny - said, "What you want to do, love, is try this."

She went on their website and ordered me some products - the oil and the capsules. I know the oil is good, but I'm not patient enough to last 30 seconds. I drop some on my tongue and then [makes gobbling noise]. I love the capsules. I take two every night before I go to bed. It's just like brushing my teeth or reading a book before I go to bed, now.

I'm not a scientist - as you can tell - so I don't understand the magic of what's in there, but I do believe in it.

A: It's the difference to your day-to-day and how much it helps you get some deep sleep, isn't it? I wake up feeling so well rested.

C: There's a delicious rub that I love. It's a muscle balm and it smells so delicious - I keep it next to my bed if I ever want to just put a little bit on my hands or an elbow. But it's the capsules that I love mainly - I've sent them to all of my friends.

A: Quite a few people are sceptical about CBD. What would you say to someone who thinks it might get them high?

C: I'd say it doesn't do that but I would also say, don't worry about it. Give it a go. It's super safe and delicious. Why not try it and then call me? I did that with most of my friends and now they love it.

A: How do you manage your busy lifestyle? You must be so busy all the time. 

C: I'm not! I mean, it's a myth that I'm busy. It's an absolute myth. I like it when people go, you must be manic. But I say no, [presenting Strictly Come Dancing] takes up twelve Saturdays days a year. Monday to Friday I do nothing. I take naps. Make sure the kids do their homework and roast some potatoes. I write a column for The Times and I do the radio.

Most of my friends are much, much busier than me. They work in hospitals or they're lawyers. When they're on their phones, there is this sort of frenzy, whereas when I'm on mine I'm probably doing some colouring in or thinking "Oh, I'd quite like to make a lemon meringue pavlova!"

A: Have you made a conscious choice to keep your life like that?

C: I think it was madder in the past - when I think back to like, what, how was I going to five film screenings and doing, It Takes Two and doing the results [laughs].

But my kids are bigger now and they need me at home even more than when they were little. You can sit opposite them and go, tell me about your day, and they will tell you about their day. Now they're older, they might tell you something close to 10 o'clock at night. They might come up and go, I don't really get Chemistry. And you're like, okay, let's talk about that, you've got a GCSE coming up.

I'm incredibly lucky with my work. I've been unbelievably lucky. And I like the balance.

A: CBD is clearly a non negotiable for you - do you have any other daily non-negotiables in your life? What keeps you sane?

C: I'll tell you what keeps me really sane - quite long showers. When I was a student, I showered for like literally 18 seconds. It was a dribble of water and it'd be lukewarm. But yesterday, in the middle of the day randomly, I had a shower.

My other non negotiables are Head and Shoulders. Also lip salve - I love Blistex - and white lipstick - Mac's Flesh Pop is my favourite. There's always one near me - I like to look like I'm wearing Tippex.

Speaking to my girlfriends and I speak to my Mum about three times a day. Trying to lick the children - even though some of them are not interested in that anymore.

Going to bed early is also a non-negotiable. I've just read the most brilliant book by Katie Wicks called Delicacy. I get into bed at around 9pm with a book and then I'll read for an hour and then my husband and I will go to sleep. It's lovely.

A: Does anything stop you from your 9pm bedtime?

C: Bridge. I played bridge last night. Yes, bridge. I will play that until 4am.. or, realistically, 11pm. But that's quite late for me.

A: One of the most searched things about you is your hair. People are absolutely obsessed with your hair? People want to know why it's so shiny - do you take any kind of vitamins or supplements or use any other products?

C: Firstly, I love you. Head and Shoulders helps - I swear to God, it's not more complicated than that.

I also don't dry it - I never use a hairdryer - and I use my shower as a precursor to a nap. I normally get into the shower, shampoo, then the key is to use the conditioner and then comb it through in the shower - vital.

Then, wrap yourself in a towel and just let it dry like that. No heat!

A: What is your workout routine like?

C: Oh, absolutely zero. I'm sedentary. My only movement is to go on the central line. I get the tube at 7.45am and 3.30pm. I like a march to the entrance and then when I get on, it's like an amazing Harry Potter magic pill as you come out in a totally different part of London. I pick up the offspring and then come back. So I don't move at all other than that.

I also like feeding the ducks and squirrels in my local park at the weekends, for the kids, but that's only the weekends. It's always a slow meander. I don't actually own trainers.

A: Did you do a lot of walking in lockdown?

C: We were so grateful because we had the hour of exercise, and we were really obedient. So we would set an alarm and we would go - it was the five of us [referring to her family] and we just felt so incredibly lucky.

We discovered our local park, but we also did lots of urban walking. I live in a very urban area and we don't have a garden where we are. We were literally just pounding the streets of London. When I say pounding - we wandered around. We would be looking at the blue plaques and we were so grateful for that one hour and that air.

A: What do you think is the worst bit of health, fitness or life advice that you've been given over the years?

C: I'm not really interested in liquid - I can't juice. I don't want spirulina and fennel that's been in a processor, ever.

I also don't - maybe this is bad, maybe I'm lazy and too much of an 80's kid - but I don't sweat it. I'm not really interested. I love delicious food. I love potatoes. I'm getting meeting a girlfriend later on and we're just having a pasta-off. I love that.

I went to yoga once and I lasted four minutes. I'm just not that person. I like lying on my bed, under quite a heavy duvet, talking to my girlfriends on the phone.

A: How do you zone out of the pressure to be doing more? What would your advice be to people

C: In my world, I'm not aware of that mentality, and I would treat it with a certain amount of disdain. Any pressure to do anything, whether it's pressure to lie down, or pressure to read more, or pressure to exercise more, I'm not interested in. I'm totally disinterested, in complete honesty.

That all makes me feel nauseous. I like ramshackle, and funny, and smart, which is why I like shepherds pie and bridge with my best and oldest friend. And I like things sort of decaying, including myself, I find that much more charming.

My mum once sat next to a brain surgeon - don't laugh - at a lunch when I was about twelve. She was a journalist so she often sat with different people. Anyway, he said to her, just as a parting shot, "Oh, by the way, if you've got kids, always let them sleep, never ever tell them to wake up."

So she came home and held a family meeting with me and my brother. And she said, "I won't ever, ever tell you that you're wasting the day ever again."

My house became like a haven. As we grew up and as a teenager, all my friends would stay with me. I had a tiny single bed and a tiny room and there was often four of us going head-to-toe. If I was a bit overwhelmed when I was doing my A levels, or when I was in my finals at university, or I didn't know what to do because two friends were arguing, her answer having had this lunch with this man once when I was twelve was, "Why don't you just close your eyes? Why don't you just take the weight off? Have a tiny nap - ten or fifteen minutes, no telly, no phone, no nothing."

I do it with my kids now and they're like, "Oh Mum, I'm too stressed, I can't sleep!" And I'm like, "I'll be the judge of that." And I take their phone and they just lie there and close their eyes. I'm a big believer in that.

A: I've never heard that before. It's really interesting.

C: It's like when you put your computer to sleep. It's just shutting down a bit.

A: Quick fire. If you had to eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

C: Roast chicken and jacket potato with cheese.

A: Your favourite current podcast?

C: Off Menu - I think it's the funniest podcast ever. I love being on it.

A: Coffee or tea, your coffee or tea person?

C: Decaf coffee, two sweeteners. I don't like caffeine - decaf is delicious.

A: And one bit of advice you would give your younger self?

C: Don't worry about it. Get back into bed. Heavier fringe?