Trinny Woodall

Sarah-Jane Duncanson "Trinny" Woodall (born 8 February 1964) is a British beauty entrepreneur, businesswoman, and the founder of cosmetics brand Trinny London.

Woodall initially rose to fame as a fashion and makeover expert, television presenter and author. With Susannah Constantine, she formed half of the duo Trinny and Susannah; together they wrote a weekly fashion column for The Daily Telegraph before being commissioned by the BBC to host What Not to Wear in 2001. This was followed by several other television projects, books and clothing ranges.

Early life Woodall is the youngest of six children, including three half-siblings from her father's first marriage. Her father was a banker, while her maternal grandfather was Sir John Duncanson, Steel Controller for the British Ministry of Supply in the last two years of the Second World War. He went on to become managing director of the British Iron and Steel Federation (BISF) in August 1945 and then managing director of Lithgows in 1949.

When Woodall was five years old, she was sent home from school after cutting off another pupil's plait. A family friend, Ronald Searle, who created the St Trinian cartoons that inspired the later films, likened her to a mischievous St Trinian girl, and the name Trinny stuck from then onwards. Woodall was educated at boarding schools from the age of six, which included Queen's Gate School in Queen's Gate, South Kensington. She also attended Baston School for Girls.

She has described one of the boarding schools as "cruel" and "sadistic". She has connected a fear of being naked with the time she was made to stand totally unclothed in front of the other pupils as a punishment for having a water fight. Woodall also attended boarding schools in France and Germany between the ages of twelve and fifteen. During her school years, she felt overshadowed by her older sister who was the "star of the school", which prompted pupils to use Woodall to get to her sister.

Career

Early career Woodall and Susannah Constantine first collaborated in 1996 on Ready to Wear, a weekly style guide for the Daily Telegraph which ran for seven years. The style guide highlighted affordable high-street fashion, with the pair using themselves to demonstrate clothing that suited different figures. Woodall assumed the role of stylist and made the duo's business decisions.

Television Woodall and Constantine became household names as co-hosts and fashion advisors for five series of the BBC television series What Not to Wear. They combined their fashion knowledge and their infamous straight-talking advice to improve the dress sense of the candidates selected for the show.

In 2002, Woodall and Constantine won a Royal Television Society Award for their work on What Not to Wear, in the category of best factual presenter. The show itself was nominated for the Features Award at the BAFTAS in both 2002 and 2003.

With What Not to Wear proving popular on BBC America, they frequently contributed as makeover and fashion experts on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

After What Not to Wear, Woodall and Constantine transferred from the BBC to ITV, and began their new television show, Trinny & Susannah Undress..., in 2006.

Woodall has also made regular appearances giving fashion and beauty advice on shows such as This Morning, The Today Show and The Marilyn Denis Show.

In 2017, Woodall founded direct-to-consumer cosmetics brand Trinny London.

Books Woodall and Constantine have co-written numerous fashion advice books, which have sold over three million copies worldwide. Their books have been translated throughout the world"Trinny and Susannah Undress". itv.com. Retrieved 26 January 2007. and have placed them number one on both The Sunday Times best-seller list"Search results for Trinny and Susannah bestsellers". The Times. Retrieved 30 May 2007. and The New York Times best-seller list."Search results for Trinny and Susannah bestsellers". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 May 2007.

In 2023, Woodall published the book Fearless, and an accompanying podcast of the same name.

Awards YearCountryOrganisationAward2020UKCEW Achiever AwardsAchiever Award2021UKLDCTop 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders The Digital Disruptor Award

Television credits YearProgramme Other notes 2001–2005 What Not to Wear Herself 2002 The Kumars at No. 42 Herself, interview 2003 What Not to Wear on the Red Carpet HerselfV Graham Norton Herself, interviewParkinson Herself, interview 2004 The Terry and Gaby Show Herself, interviewFriday Night with Jonathan Ross Herself, interviewChildren in Need HerselfTop Gear Herself, interview and racingThis Morning Herself, interview 2005 Comic Relief: Red Nose Night Live 05 HerselfParkinson Herself, interviewThis Morning Herself, interviewDoctor Who Episode "Bad Wolf", voice of Trine-e 2006 Parkinson Herself, interviewThis Morning Herself, interviewSport Relief HerselfAnt & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway Herself, interviewThe Sharon Osbourne Show Herself, interviewThe View Herself, interviewThe Today Show Herself 2006–2007 Trinny & Susannah Undress... Herself 2007 Richard & Judy Herself, interviewComic Relief Does The Apprentice Herself, contestantFriday Night with Jonathan Ross Herself, interviewGMTV; LK Today Herself, interviewGood Morning America HerselfThis Morning Herself 2009 Making Over America HerselfWould I lie To You? Herself7 days on the breadline Herself 2010 Trinny & Susannah: Missie Vlaanderen (channel Vitaya/Belgium) Herself 2011 My Life in Books BBC2 Herself, Interview Trinny & Susannah ubierają Polskę (channel TVN Style Poland) Herself2011–2012Trinny & Susannah: Missie Holland (channel RTL NL)Herself 2011–2014 Trinny & Susannah: Stylar om Sverige (channel TV4 Plus Sweden) Herself 2011–2015 "Trinny & Susannah: Making Over Israel" (Channel 10, Israel) HerselfTrinny & Susannah: Oppdrag Norge (channel FEM)Herself2013Trinny & Susannah's Makeover Mission India(TLC)Herself2015The Real Housewives of New York CityHerself2016ITV This MorningHerself2019RTE IrelandHerself2020Sky NewsHerselfThe Six O'Clock ShowHerselfSunriseHerself2021BBC NewsHerselfCBNCHerselfBBC BreakfastHerselfThe Six O'Clock ShowHerselfToday Weekend EditionHerself2021–2022Marilyn Dennis ShowHerself2022Studio 10HerselfThe AM ShowHerselfRTL BoulervardHerselfToday ShowHerself2023ITV This MorningHerself

Personal life Woodall married entrepreneur and former drummer Jonathan Elichaoff in 1999. They had a daughter about 2003. They divorced in 2009 after two years of separation. The divorce financial settlement eventually led to a complex and novel legal case in 2016. Elichaoff became bankrupt before the divorce was finalised and the trustee in bankruptcy sought to void the settlement, after Elichaoff took his own life in 2014, and make Woodall responsible for the bankruptcy debts of about £300,000. The case proceeded to hearings in the High Court, where the claim was rejected and later leave to appeal was denied, as orders over a divorce settlement can only be made during their joint lives.

Carol Vorderman was involved in a feud with Constantine and Woodall in 2003. Vorderman commented harshly about the double-act, referring to them as 'Tranny and the Horse', based on their appearance, after they had called her an "overdone Eighties nightmare" and named Vorderman in their list of the twenty worst-dressed celebrities.Editors at BBC. Carol Vorderman launches fashion attack – news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 17 February 2007.

In 2013, Woodall began a relationship with Charles Saatchi. Saatchi had recently been divorced six weeks previously by ex-wife Nigella Lawson, following a notable incident of him strangling Lawson that came to light after being photographed by a paparazzi photographer. Woodall claimed to not know about the incident, despite it being widely publicised at the time. In 2023, after ten years, Woodall and Saatchi broke up, with Woodall citing she "felt alone" in the relationship, and that it felt "very good" to be single again.

Trinny Woodall

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