Meet Claudia Winkleman’s daughter Matilda Thykier: Strictly host’s rarely seen child, 19, is a TikTok loving chemistry student who suffered horrific burns as a child when her Halloween costume went up in flames

Claudia Winkleman shocked fans when she announced her departure from Strictly Come Dancing on Thursday after a 12-year stint. 

And while Claudia’s rarely-seen daughter, Matilda Thykier, will no doubt be thrilled to be spending more time with her mother, it’s unlikely she will be following in her showbiz footsteps. 

Matilda, 19, whom the presenter shares with husband Kris Thykier, is a TikTok loving chemistry student at Bath University.

In 2014, she suffered horrific burns as an eight-year-old when her Halloween costume went up in flames, leaving her mother traumatised.

Fast forward 11 years, and Matilda is now loving life as a university student in her second year.

Speaking about her daughter’s intelligence, Claudia previously told Grazia: ‘She’s a very clever girl. 

While Claudia’s rarely-seen daughter will no doubt be thrilled to be spending more time with her mother, it’s unlikely she will follow in her showbiz footsteps

‘She sends me some of the work she does. I’m like, ‘What? How? Pardon?’

Not only does she have the brains, Matilda clearly has the looks – with nearly 4,000 followers on Instagram.

Over on her page, she regularly shares snaps of her fun nights out with pals and travels.

Just like her adventurous mum, she spent three months living in Copenhagen over the summer.

She also has nearly 10,000 followers on TikTok, where she posts the occasional clip lip-syncing to a viral song. 

Claudia previously described Matilda’s horror incident as a ‘life-changing’ moment for her.

Matilda was in a witch’s costume when it brushed against a candle at a neighbour’s house while the family were out trick-or-treating. 

Speaking about the injury for the first time, the presenter recalled to BBC Watchdog: ‘I was talking to somebody, and then I just heard her scream. 

Matilda, 19, whom the presenter shares with husband Kris Thykier, is a second-year chemistry student at Bath University

In 2014, she suffered horrific burns as an eight-year-old when her Halloween costume went up in flames

Her traumastised mother Claudia campaigned against the dangers of these highly flammable outfits and spoke about it on BBC show Watchdog at the time 

Fast forward 11 years, and Matilda is now loving life as a university student in her second year

‘She just screamed ‘Mummy’ and I turned round and that was that, she was just on fire.

‘Everyone was screaming. She was screaming, all the kids there were screaming… It feels like she was on fire for hours but the surgeon said that definitely wasn’t the case and it was probably just seconds.

‘But she went up, is the only way I know how to describe it. It was not like fire I had seen before.’

Claudia continued: ‘We couldn’t put her out. We couldn’t put her out – like if your shirt caught fire or anything I could put it out. It was the tights that… they came back to life.

‘It was like those horrific birthday candles that you blow out and then they come back.’

Speaking about the severity of Matilda’s burns, she added: ‘It’s life-changing but not life-defining. It was definitely life-changing for me. I can’t remember life before it.’

Despite being one of the UK’s most in-demand presenters, Claudia has managed to keep her family out of the spotlight as she rarely discusses them. 

Claudia is also a mum to sons Jake, 21, and Arthur, 13, with Kris.

Being with her three children seems to be the top of her priority list, after she has expressed her desire to spend more time with them over the years.

Speaking previously about her daughter’s intelligence, Claudia said : ‘She’s a very clever girl. ‘She sends me some of the work she does. I’m like, ‘What? How? Pardon?’

Not only does she have the brains, but Matilda also has the looks – with nearly 4,000 followers on Instagram

In March 2024, Claudia stepped down from her BBC Radio 2 show to spend more time with her family.

She said at the time: ‘Time is going too fast, my daughter is getting ready to leave home and she was three about five minutes ago. 

‘I still have a little one who wants to be with me – I don’t know how long that will last, and I just need to be at home more.’

And now it looks like Matilda will get to spend even more time with her famous mum after she announced her departure from Strictly.

Claudia and her co-host Tess Daly agreed to quit the show nearly a year ago after a series of heart-to-heart chats.

The star, who also hosts BBC series The Traitors and spin-off Celebrity Traitors, and Tess, who first joined the series back in 2004, sat side by side in the clip that confirmed their departure.

Speaking to the camera, Claudia began: ‘There have been some rumblings and we want you to hear this from us.’

Tess chimed in: ‘We have news, after 21 wonderfully joyful years on Strictly, we have decided that the time is right to step aside and pass over the baton.’

Now it looks like Matilda will get to spend even more time with her famous mum after she announced her departure from Strictly on Thursday (Claudia pictured with co-host Tess Daly)

‘The very sparkly baton!’ Claudia laughed, before turning to her co-star and pal to add: ‘You’ve been here since the beginning.’

Tess replied, pointing to Claudia: ‘With Bruce, lovely Bruce [Forsyth], and that was over two decades ago but a lot of the time has been with you.

‘It’s been a huge part of our lives since our children were literally babes in arms, and now they’re adults, and I think genuinely we have cherished every second.’

Claudia continued: ‘We have, we’re so lucky to have been part of this amazing show and we just want to thank the Strictly team, because Strictly is the people who make it.’

The duo penned under the video: ‘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. We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series and we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to every single person who works on the show.

‘They’re the most brilliant team and we’ll miss them every day. We will cry when we say the last ‘keep dancing’ but we will continue to say it to each other.

‘Just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza.’