Claudia Winkleman, one of Britain’s most recognizable television personalities, was all smiles on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, as she received a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) from King Charles III at Windsor Castle. The ceremony, held in the historic royal residence, marked a crowning achievement in Winkleman’s decades-long broadcasting career—one that has brought her into millions of homes and made her a staple of British entertainment.
Winkleman, 53, was honored for her services to broadcasting, joining a select group recognized in the King’s Birthday Honours this past June. She was not alone in her accolades; her Strictly Come Dancing co-host, Tess Daly, received her own MBE just weeks prior, underscoring the duo’s impact on British television. The investiture ceremony saw Winkleman dressed in a crisp white suit with a matching headband and black shirt—a nod, some observers noted, to the chic style of Kate Middleton. She was accompanied by her husband, film producer Kris Thykier, and her parents, journalist Eve Pollard and Barry Winkleman. Her sister, Sophie Winkleman—herself a member of the Royal family through marriage to Lord Frederick Windsor—was notably absent, but family pride was palpable among those present.
After the ceremony, Winkleman took to Instagram to express her gratitude: “An incredible morning and an enormous honour. I’m speechless.” Her humility was echoed in earlier statements following the announcement of her inclusion on the Honours list, when she said, “I am incredibly grateful to receive this honour. It’s a real privilege to work with extraordinarily talented people and I have only got this because of them. So this is for the BBC, the Traitors and the Faithful, for pianos and for the cha cha.” According to the Daily Mail, she had planned to celebrate the occasion with Daly by “doing a paso doble”—a fitting tribute to their years on the dance show.
Winkleman’s path to this moment has been as varied as it has been successful. Raised in London by a media-connected family, she studied Art History at Cambridge University before venturing into broadcasting in the early 1990s. Her early career saw her contributing travel writing and lifestyle columns to publications like The Independent, before she made her mark on television, first with BBC’s Holiday and later as a presenter on It Takes Two from 2004 to 2010. This spin-off role laid the groundwork for her eventual promotion to co-host of the main Strictly Come Dancing program in 2014, stepping in after the legendary Bruce Forsyth reduced his workload.
For over a decade, Winkleman and Daly have been the faces of Strictly, guiding the program through its 20th anniversary in 2024 and bringing warmth, wit, and a sense of camaraderie to the ballroom. Their partnership has not just been professional; it’s been deeply personal. In a joint statement posted to Instagram this October, the pair announced their decision to leave the show at the end of the current series, with the Christmas Day special marking their final appearance. “We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream. We were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time,” they wrote, signaling the end of an era for fans and the BBC alike.
Winkleman’s accomplishments extend beyond the dance floor. In 2023, she won a coveted BAFTA for Best Entertainment Performance for her deadpan hosting of The Traitors, a psychological reality competition that quickly became a hit. The celebrity edition of the show, won by Alan Carr, drew a peak audience of 12 million, according to the BBC. With the next season of The Traitors set to return in 2026, Winkleman’s future in television looks as bright as ever, with speculation swirling about new projects, including a potential BBC primetime chat show.
Her versatility is evident in her wide-ranging credits: from presenting The Great British Sewing Bee and The Piano on Channel 4, to hosting Comic Relief and a variety of shows on BBC Radio 2. Earlier in 2025, she was recognized by the Royal Television Society with its outstanding achievement award, a testament to her enduring influence on British media.
Winkleman’s personal life is as rooted in family as her career is in broadcasting. Married to Thykier since 2000, she is the mother of three—Jake, Matilda, and Arthur. Her distinctive fringe and signature smoky-eye look have become her trademarks, adding to the charm that endears her to viewers. According to the Daily Mail, she once said of her investiture, “I will buy a hat and am taking my mum. I am ridiculously lucky and will celebrate with Tess by doing a paso doble.”
Charity work is another cornerstone of Winkleman’s public life. She serves as a patron of Child Bereavement UK and Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity, while Daly supports the King’s Trust and Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital. Their charitable efforts have not gone unnoticed by the royal family. Queen Camilla, herself a keen dancer, has attended Strictly events and even hosted a palace tea party for the show’s participants. Last year, she described herself as “one of Strictly’s greatest fans,” telling professional dancer Johannes Radebe, “We all watch it.” According to Tess Daly’s husband, BBC radio presenter Vernon Kay, the Queen is always eager for backstage gossip, asking, “Who is your favourite?”
It hasn’t all been smooth sailing for Strictly in recent years. The show has weathered controversies, including complaints of mistreatment that led to the departures of professionals Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima in 2024, as well as accusations against celebrities on the 2025 tour. Still, the program’s resilience—and the unwavering affection of its audience—have kept it at the forefront of British entertainment.
Meanwhile, the December 9 ceremony at Windsor Castle saw another luminary honored: Sir Antony Gormley, the renowned sculptor behind the Angel of the North, joined the elite Companions of Honour, a group limited to just 65 living members. The event underscored the breadth of British cultural achievement recognized by the monarchy.
As Winkleman and Daly prepare to step away from Strictly Come Dancing, their contributions to British broadcasting are undeniable. For Winkleman, the MBE is not just a personal accolade but a celebration of a career built on collaboration, creativity, and a genuine connection with the public. With new projects on the horizon and a legacy secured, she remains—MBE or not—one of the nation’s most beloved broadcasters.
