Strictly’s Claudia Winkleman almost unrecognisable as she reveals flirting tips in old BBC clip

STRICTLY Come Dancing host Claudia Winkleman is almost unrecognisable in a clip dug up by the BBC’s archive. The Corporation dusted off the clip from its vaults from 1996, when the presenter was just just 24. Claudia appeared as a “Chat Up Connoisseur” on Good Morning With Anne and Nick. On the show, a long-running […]

STRICTLY Come Dancing host Claudia Winkleman is almost unrecognisable in a clip dug up by the BBC’s archive.

The Corporation dusted off the clip from its vaults from 1996, when the presenter was just just 24.

Claudia appeared as a “Chat Up Connoisseur” on Good Morning With Anne and Nick.

On the show, a long-running rival to This Morning, she gave some tips to host Nick Owen – with co-host Anne Diamond nowhere to be seen.

In the clip, posted by the BBC on Twitter, Claudia insisted she “hardly ever” got approached by men, but added: “I get very excited when I do.”

She explained: “Eye contact. It’s all eye contact but it can be terrifying. You can be sitting at the other side of the bar making eye contact for an hour and a half and then he’ll leave.

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She was billed as a ‘Chat Up Connoisseur’ during the 1996 daytime appearance[/caption]

Twitter

She was interviewed by Nick Owen in a segment about modern dating[/caption]

“They might instigate it – if I 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. Boys are so sweet and I don’t think they realise. The fear of rejection is huge – they have to embrace it.”

Fans were amazed that it was Claudia in the 90s appearance – with one gasping: “She’s unrecognisable.”

Another joked it was a rare look at the star, who is now 49, “before the Fringe”.

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Claudia, seen here on Graham Norton last year, later adopted her famous fringe[/caption]

Claudia’s chat-up technique clearly paid off – four years after the clip was filmed she married film producer Kris Thykier.

The pair, who wed in 2000, now share three children, Jake, 18, Matilda, 14, and Arthur, nine.

After stints on shows such as the cult classic God’s Gift she made the jump to Strictly spin-off It Takes Two in 2004, before going on to front the Sunday results show in 2010.