Meet Claudia Winkleman’s Husband: BAFTA-Nominated Producer and ‘Viking’ Kris Thykier

Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly shocked fans last week as they announced that they were both stepping away from presenting Strictly Come Dancing.

While the two friends didn’t specify why this was the right time to go, it’s been speculated that Tess’ husband Vernon Kay is pleased, as her exit could give him the chance to achieve his dream of cracking America.

And Claudia’s husband Kris Thykier, 53, is likely to be just as thrilled over the news, as it will ensure he gets more time with his wife of 25 years.

He also works in the TV industry, but while Claudia, 53, is known for her work in front of the camera, Kris has had a long and successful career working behind it as a TV and film producer.

He has worked on films such as Stardust (2007), Kick-Ass (2010), I Give It A Year (2013) and Operation Mincemeat (2021), and served as an executive producer on projects including Burnt (2015) and hit TV show Riviera, from 2017 to 2020.

While his spouse has gotten to rub shoulders with the stars on Strictly and Celebrity Traitors, Kris has also had the opportunity to work alongside several big names, including Michael Caine in 2009’s Harry Brown and Madonna in her film W.E.

And this year he produced the likes of crime drama MobLand, starring Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren, and Bradley Cooper’s Is This Thing On?.

Just like Claudia, he has also received award recognition, landing his first BAFTA nod in 2015 for Best Film Not in the English Language category, for Stephen Daldry’s Trash.

Three years later, Kris scored another BAFTA nomination in the Best Mini-Series category for Channel 4’s The State.

He and Claudia tied the knot in an intimate ceremony at Marylebone Town Hall in June 2000, with the nuptials being kept very low-key and private.

However, The Traitors host later let slip one detail about their big day, as she declared that her wedding dress was ‘disgusting’.

Appearing on The Wheel in 2021, she made the admission to a contestant who revealed they wanted to win the prize money to buy a bridal gown.

In a kind gesture after getting the question wrong, Claudia told the player that she would pay for her dress, while reflecting on her own.

She said: ‘I am going to buy you a wedding dress because I don’t think that’s the right answer. Mine was disgusting so I won’t lend it to you, but that’s what we’re going to do.’

She and Kris later became parents with the arrival of son Jake, 22, in 2003, before welcoming daughter Matilda, 19, in 2006 and son Arthur, 14, in 2011. 

The year after giving birth to her third child, Claudia admitted that she was still feeling broody, but revealed that Kris had imposed a baby ban.

She told Mandrake: ‘I’d like another baby but my husband has banned me from having more.’

However, she conceded that it was a wise decision, explaining: ‘It is probably a good thing as otherwise I would have nine more.’

Last year, the couple also began working more closely together, after Claudia quit under fire talent agency YMU to join Little Arrow, a company founded by Kris. 

Ahead of their silver wedding anniversary, Claudia opened up about the pair’s longstanding romance as she admitted she was ‘incredibly lucky’.

Speaking to The Sunday Times about the secret to the longevity of their marriage, she quoted Gwyneth Paltrow’s director father, Bruce Danner.

Claudia said: ‘Bruce Danner was asked, “You’ve had a long marriage, didn’t you want to get divorced?” And he went, “Sure, but never at the same time.” Best. Line. Ever. I feel incredibly lucky.’

Previously quipping she often wonders ‘why or how’ their marriage has lasted so long, Claudia has said that Kris being Danish and a feminist has been instrumental to their relationship working so smoothly.

She’s admitted that isn’t the most domesticated partner, describing herself as ‘the laziest person in the world’, but insists that Kris always picks up the slack.

She told The Sun: ‘Kris is very Danish in his ways. So, it’s not up to me to make dinner, it’s not up to me to make lunch and it’s not up to him to take the kids outside to play catch.

‘In 20 years of marriage he has not once asked me what’s for dinner. I married a feminist, my mother wouldn’t have let me not.’

While she has also credited Kris with being the reason that she is able to balance her home life with her many work commitments, declaring: ‘My husband is a better parent than me.’

Claudia explained: ‘We share, and when one of us is snowed under, the other person will help. He knows that in the lead-up to the Strictly final, for example, I’m useless, so he might be in charge of getting Christmas presents for our nephews and nieces……

She added that between the two of them, Kris is definitely more lovey-dovey, saying: ‘I’m not a romantic person, he’s much more romantic than me, the poor guy!’

In December, she spilled more about the couple’s dynamic together, saying: ‘I can’t talk much about Kris or he’ll be sick but he’s incredibly Scandi. None of it’s my job, it’s always our job. 

‘He’s never said, “What’s for dinner?” It would be, “What are we having for dinner? Should I make something?” It’s a tiny inflection, but it is different.

‘Or, “What day do the kids go back to school?” He doesn’t ask me that. He looks it up. His whole family’s the same.’

The TV icon added that Kris has already planned out what their lives will look like after all three of their kids have flown the nest – though admitted she was not convinced.

She said: ‘Kris has this dream — he’ll buy a dinghy and live on the water. He’s a bit of a Viking. I don’t know how that will work.’

However, earlier this year Claudia joked that she ‘almost left’ Kris after he suggested they go on a spontaneous holiday.

Writing in the Telegraph in May, she admitted being the ‘opposite of carefree’ and ‘antithesis of wild’, so was flabbergasted by her husband’s impulsive idea.

She recalled: ‘“Babe, let’s go away somewhere, you know, last minute.” Yes. I almost left him. Last minute? Pardon? Hello? Has he met me? We’ve been together for 27 years and I’ve never, ever done anything on the hoof/spontaneous/on a whim.’ 

After reluctantly deciding to ‘go along’ with the last-minute trip to Marrakech, she confessed that she had a wonderful time, quipping: ‘“Why has nobody told me about this before?” I asked my husband. He replied (with one eyebrow raised) “we tried baby, for years and years but you always like going to the same place”.’

And she has also candidly revealed how she will refuse to let Kris kiss or touch her if he has ever committed the cardinal sin of downing lots of water.

Claudia spilled the beans on the intimacy deal-breaker on the Off Menu podcast, as she told comedians Ed Gamble and James Acaster how she has a bizarre phobia of water.

Detailing how deep her dislike for H2O goes, she declared: ‘I don’t like or believe in water, I won’t have it. It’s a solid no from me.’

And she insisted that her hatred is so strong, it even impacts her relationship, with Kris suffering the consequences every time he has a drink. 

Claudia explained: ‘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!’

She went on: ‘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”. 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.’

Sending the hosts into fits of laughter with her strange confession, Claudia continued on to say she would prefer Kris to be dehydrated, saying: ‘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. I just don’t like liquid, I don’t like wine, there’s all kinds of stuff. Is this too weird?’

Claudia and Tess  – who has hosted the series since its inception in 2004 – announced their departure last week on Instagram, sharing a video of them sat side-by-side together.

The two pals explained that they’d agreed to quit Strictly nearly a year ago after a series of heart-to-heart chats.

Addressing their fans, 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.’

‘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.’