Claudia Winkleman is known for her stylishly dishevelled fringe and messy, over-the-top eyeliner, but while she is renowned for her dramatic look, the Strictly host shared that her trademark look is actually down to a lifelong health condition.
Chatting on the How To Fail podcast, Claudia explained that she has myopia, a common eyesight condition which means objects that are close look clear, but things further away look blurry.
The 51-year-old admitted that she has never been able to see her own face because of the issue. Of her eyesight, Claudia said: "I was born, I think with minus 15, so I've never really been able to see my face. It's all guesswork."
© Instagram / @claudiawinkleOn the surgery she's had to fix the issue, Tess Daly's co-host said: "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."
Sharing how she doesn't mind being unable to see clearly, Claudia added: "Everything is ish, it's just a vague idea which is how I'd like to live. I don't want to live in a perfect land. I want to live in fuzzy world.
"I like irregular and ramshackle and messy. Just look at the way I do my eye makeup," she continued. "I've always had terrible eyesight," she concluded.
What is myopia?
While myopia is common, the severity of Claudia's condition is rare.
"In the UK, severe myopia like Claudia’s with -15 is relatively uncommon but its prevalence is gradually increasing, particularly among younger generations," says consultant doctor Samer Hameda.
© Getty"About 30 per cent of the world is currently myopic and that is expected to rise to 50 per cent (approximately 5 billion people) by 2050," he told casinos.win
As Claudia noted, she's had surgery several times but has seen minimal improvement in her eyesight.
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"Surgery outcomes for severe myopia can vary,’ says Samer Hamada. "While many see a significant improvement, achieving perfect vision isn’t guaranteed. Factors such as severity, anatomy and underlying conditions play a role.
"In Claudia’s case, despite two surgeries, there may be residual refractive error or other issues affecting her vision such as degenerative changes on the retina due to the high level of myopia.
© Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock"It is not uncommon that despite multiple surgeries, someone with very high myopia will still need glasses or contact lenses to see."
We're glad Claudia manages okay with her eyesight – thank goodness she can see the Strictly autocue!
