Strictly star Claudia Winkleman reveals truly bizarre reason she refuses to have s.e.x with husband

Strictly Come Dancing host Claudia Winkleman has been married to husband Kris Thykier for more than 20 years and she made a very bizarre confession about their s.e.x life

Strictly Come Dancing host Claudia Winkleman made a very bizarre confession about their sex life (Image: Getty Images)

Claudia Winkleman has openly admitted to her unusual reason for refusing to get frisky with her husband Kris Thykier.

Despite over 20 years of marriage, the Strictly Come Dancing host confessed that his drinking habits can put a damper on their intimacy.

Claudia’s hang-up came to light during an appearance on the Off Menu podcast with comedy duo Ed Gamble and James Acaster back in 2020, where she confessed to a genuine phobia. “I don’t like or believe in water, I won’t have it,” she alarmingly disclosed. “If you’re walking towards my table and there’s a water glass it’s a solid no. I’ve never knowingly had water – I don’t like it. I won’t have it around.”

Delving into the depths of her fear, Claudia revealed just how this aversion impacts her romantic moments, remarking: “My husband drinks great amounts of water and I really like him but it’s problematic. He’s glugging. Don’t touch me. ‘Claud, take your bra off.’ I don’t think so, you should be ashamed of yourself.”

Despite over 20 years of marriage, the Strictly Come Dancing host confessed that his drinking habits can put a damper on their intimacy (Image: Getty)

Claudia revealed just how her liquid aversion impacts her romantic moments (Image: Getty)
The television star and mother-of-three illustrated the predicament further by painting a picture of a less than ideal date scenario: “Imagine you’re on a date I’ve been with the same man for 100 years. He’s sitting there and he’s like: ‘I don’t know what to have, what are you going to have? Maybe we should have the same thing.’ And someone comes round and says: ‘Would you like some water? And he goes: ‘Yeah, sure’.”

According to OK!, Claudia went on: “And they give him a pint glass of water and he drinks the whole thing. Are you going to want to kiss this many anymore? No. A wet mouth with a big fleshy tongue that is covered in liquid.”

Claudia then confessed that it’s not just water she isn’t keen on, but all liquids in general. “I want a dry shrivelled up little man, I want to sleep with Mr Burns, he doesn’t drink water, I want him at the table,” she expressed. “I just don’t like liquid, I don’t like wine, there’s all kinds of stuff. Is this too weird?”

Claudia has been wedded to film producer Kris for the past 24 years, having tied the knot in 2000 and the pair are parents to children Jake, Matilda and Arthur. The TV star is currently presenting the 20th anniversary series of Strictly Come Dancing, the BBC’s flagship show, alongside her close friend, 55-year-old Tess Daly.

Claudia and her husband share Jake, 20, Matilda, 17, and Arthur, 12 and The Traitors star previously revealed her kids were the reason she stepped back from her radio show. “Here’s the thing and it is such a boring cliché so I apologise. Time is going too fast. My daughter is getting ready to leave home and she was 3 about 5 minutes ago,” she confessed. “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.”

Claudia also made a touching tribute to her children when she joined Instagram in 2014, sharing a sweet photo of Matilda and Arthur’s backs. “My first photo,” she captioned the post. The telly legend posted a pic of her son Jake in 2019 as he was gazing out at a sunset with the caption: “16-year-old said he’d only come away with me if it was ‘unusual’. We are in love with you Iceland.”

Over the years, Claudia has been quite open about her parenting methods in the past and even revealed that Tanya Byron, her co-host on the How Did We Get Here? podcast, once called her “the worst parent alive”. Chatting toThe Times, she shared how Tanya caught her promising to tape an Arsenal game and giving some cash to her son Jake for a sarnie when he was just fifteen.

“[Tanya] said, ‘You’re curling, smoothing everything in his path. You’re not teaching him any form of resilience’,” Claudia said. “What he needs to do is be caught in the rain, not be able to afford Subway. He needs to work out, ‘Oh, I bought McDonald’s fries yesterday’. He needs to miss the Arsenal match. Then he’ll learn. And you’re not helping him.'”