Heartbreaking reason Strictly's Claudia Winkleman doesn’t wear Halloween costume

29 October 2023 , 16:11

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Heartbreaking reason Strictly's Claudia Winkleman doesn’t wear Halloween costume

Strictly Come Dancing viewers have questioned why co-host Claudia Winkleman was not dressed in Halloween costume along with the pro dancers, celebrities and judges but there is a devastating reason why she doesn't.

The 51-year-old TV presenter was dressed in black but shunned a full Halloween costume for the live BBC dance show and hasn't worn a spooky outfit on the show for a decade now. The reason why goes back to an incident that involved her daughter Matilda in 2014, when she was just eight years old.

Claudia was trick or treating with Matilda when the youngster brushed against a candle while wearing a costume and was engulfed in flames within seconds. She suffered severe burns to her legs and neighbour Jamie Poulton was left with second degree burns after trying to extinguish the blaze with his bare hands.

There is a heartbreaking reason Claudia Winkleman doesn’t wear Halloween costume on Strictly

After the horrific incident, Claudia took time away from Strictly as the family processed what happened and since then it has been the time of the year which the TV star doesn't enjoy. Speaking to The Mail about it, Claudia admitted: "I don't like Halloween because [a few] years ago it turned out our screams were real. She 'went up' is the only way I can describe it - it was a spark, and she screamed out for me.

"It was like those horrific birthday candles that you blow out and they come back. It was really fast. It was definitely life-changing for me."

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Claudia was so traumatised she needed help from her close pal, adolescent and child clinical psychologist Tanya Byron. Speaking to Tanya on their new podcast How Did We Get Here?, the Strictly host said: “You helped me with flashbacks. I had flashbacks of when my daughter had an accident and they come at you like a bull."

She added: "Like a tsunami, it’s so enormous you think you’re going to drown. So you have to shove it to one side.” Describing the fire incident previously, Claudia’s neighbour Jamie said: “It was like a potential horror film in front of me. This material just keeps reigniting and re-burning. And it is sticky, so it melts on the skin. It was horrific.”

Three years after the accident, Claudia won a battle in her bid to prevent children’s fancy dress costumes being fire hazards. Industry body the British Retail Consortium announced voluntary guidelines, stating that fabric on toys – which kids’ costumes are classed as – cannot burn faster than 10mm per second. It is a significant improvement on the current legislation which allows a burn rate of 30mm per second.

James Brinsford