Susannah Constantine
Encyclopedia
Susannah Caroline Constantine (born 3 June 1962) is an English fashion journalist
, advisor, television presenter, author and designer. Her second book, entitled What Not to Wear, has won her a prestigious British Book Award
and sold 670,000 copies.
Constantine was born into a wealthy family; her father was successful in property and shipping sectors. She was privately educated as a child and went on to date British royalty, David, Viscount Linley, during the 1980s. Constantine has been involved in fashion for a long period, originally working in America for Giorgio Armani
and then John Galliano
in London. She met Trinny Woodall
in 1994 who both proceeded to write a weekly fashion column, Ready to Wear. They founded Ready2shop.com
, a dot-com
fashion advice business, and wrote their first fashion advice book in 2000, Ready 2 Dress, both of which failed. From there they were commissioned to BBC Two
to host the style series, What Not to Wear, from 2001 to 2005. She made regular appearances as a style advisor on The Oprah Winfrey Show
and following her success on the shows, she went on to co-host Trinny & Susannah Undress...
on ITV in 2006 and Undress the Nation in 2007. Constantine and Woodall have now dressed over 5,000 women.
She has co-written many fashion advice books with Woodall, some of which have become bestsellers in the United Kingdom and United States. It is estimated that her various style advice books have sold 2.5 million copies in Britain and the United States. Constantine and Woodall have designed their own clothing range for Littlewoods
which made its debut in 2007, followed by the release of their latest fashion advice book, The Body Shape Bible.
in South Kensington
, London and the £20,000-per-year St Mary's School
in Wantage
, Oxfordshire
which was run by Anglican nuns. Her time at St Mary's School was described by herself as "miserable" due to her homesickness and insecurity, meaning she was not able to make friends. She was first sent to boarding school at the age of 11 years, and recalls her first night away from home: "I sobbed uncontrollably into my pillow."
In mid 2007, Constantine spoke about how she received a letter from St Mary's School, inviting her to come back to the school to talk about her career and success to current pupils. Constantine immediately declined the offer with a four-letter refusal and wrote "No fucking way" on the letter she had received. Her personal assistant, who was left to deal with the situation, wrongly sent the original letter of invitation (containing Constantine's hand-written note) back to the school. The school then wrote a letter back, stating that she is not welcome near the school.
. She later said of this time that she "lost [her] virginity, went a bit mad." Constantine had taught children for three years, and also worked as a shop girl for Harrods
. She found the job, in her own words, "boring" and even tried shoplifting
for the sake of excitement, but she has since expressed admiration for shop girls. Constantine's love for horse
s had inspired her to become a mounted police
woman in London, but was deterred when she found she was required to do four years walking the beat. She wrote a book about present giving, which prompted The Daily Telegraph
to write a hostile article implying she had never done a day's work in her life, something which deeply upset her. She has stated defiantly "I've always worked."
She is now best-known as a fashion guru and style advisor. Her fashion career started when she worked for many years as a shop girl in America for Giorgio Armani
. She later came back to London with the hope of securing a job with Armani but ended up working for designers such as Richard James, Patrick Cox
, Alistair Blair and John Galliano
which gained her an even greater understanding of fashion, providing an in depth knowledge of how a garment progresses from a sketch. She then started working with the British Brain and Spine Foundation and consequently met the sports editor of The Daily Telegraph
. Whilst doing a piece for GMTV
, he asked Constantine to report the women's World Cup Final in cricket
on finding out that it was her passion. She proceeded to write about cars and then fashion.
In 1994, she first met Trinny Woodall
at a party hosted by David, Viscount Linley. Though they did not like each other at first, the two women proceeded to write Ready to Wear, a weekly style guide for The Daily Telegraph which ran successfully for seven years. The column promoted affordable high-street fashion and they used themselves to illustrate which clothing suited which figure. Constantine and Woodall also became the co-founders of Ready2shop.com
, a dot-com
, but the business venture failed, and investors subsequently lost a reputed £10 million. It was during their time running the internet business that they had a serious argument that almost ended their friendship.
Constantine made her television debut when Granada Sky Broadcasting signed her and Woodall to present a daytime shopping show called Ready to Wear, and they soon released their first fashion advice book, Ready 2 Dress in 2000. The book was unsuccessful and resulted in the pulping of 13,000 copies. Soon after the start of their television career, they secured a frequent makeover slot on the show Richard & Judy
. It ensured that they had further exposure in television and gained attention from Jane Root
, controller of BBC Two
, who took a risk and signed them up after their book venture and their internet business had failed badly.
s as tits which has become something of a trademark. Never one to hold back, a notorious moment arose when Constantine spontaneously pulled a female candidate's underwear down during filming as her knicker line was visible. Critics of What Not to Wear argued that the duo were too patronising to their subjects, a claim which they strongly disagree with. Constantine said that the comments come "from the heart", and insists that their subjects "see we have a genuine love of women. We love women and they can see that. Women just know." She also stated "Ultimately, what we're doing is giving people confidence. We're probably the only people who have an opinion, who care how ordinary people dress. No one at Vogue
magazine gives a shit. They work with the designers, it's more creative and artistic — they are creating something beautiful. But they don't care about how their readers end up looking — whereas we do!" The show made Constantine and Woodall household names and they are now known together as Trinny and Susannah
. One reporter has simply referred to Constantine as "the one with 'big tits'." Constantine and Woodall have even considered taking insurance out on their partnership should something unforeseen happen, although Constantine was against the move.
Constantine has the belief that "anyone can achieve style. It doesn't matter who you are or where you're from." She also says that she finds dressing other women easy, but finds it difficult when dressing herself. Constantine and Woodall share the belief that dressing to flatter body shape is vital, stating "For us, it’s all about shape, and how that is going to cure a bodily defect. We’re like clothing doctors."
During her time co-hosting What Not to Wear for five series, she and Woodall gained recognition for their work on the show, winning a Royal Television Society Award in 2002 for being the best factual presenters. In 2002, Constantine advised Jeremy Clarkson
on a celebrity version of What Not to Wear. After Clarkson appeared on the show, Nasir Khan stated "I'd rather eat my own hair than shop with these two [Constantine and Woodall] again". Adding to its success, the show was nominated for the Features Award at the BAFTAS in both 2002 and 2003. On the show Big Impression
, impressionist Ronni Ancona
took to spoofing Constantine's presenting techniques on What Not to Wear, just one of the shows on which Constantine's character has been spoofed.
For charity, in 2002 during the BBC's Children in Need
programme, both Constantine and Woodall performed their own version of Madonna
's hit single "Vogue" with a group of celebrity backing singers. They became the faces of Nescafé
in 2003 in which they were featured in television advertisements promoting the brand of coffee. As part of their contract, Constantine and Woodall gave a Nescafé competition winner a £10,000 makeover.
to BBC One
in 2004, and secured even larger audiences. The format was changed slightly, to a 60 minute show with two makeovers instead of a 30 minute show with only one makeover and also saw Constantine spending a day as one of her subjects. What Not to Wear soon gained her international fame when it was aired in countries such as Spain and Portugal as well as in the American continent
.
Constantine appeared on Children in Need in 2004, which included a special segment in which she gave the fictional EastEnders
characters Little Mo
and Mo Harris
a makeover in the style of What Not to Wear, commenting on them with her usual "no nonsense" approach. In 2005, Constantine voiced a robot version of herself in the science fiction
series, Doctor Who
. In the episode "Bad Wolf
", Trine-e and Zu-Zana were two robots acting out a deadly futuristic version of What not to Wear, offering a makeover to Jack Harkness
in a most gruesome form.
The Oprah Winfrey Show
has also seen Constantine and Woodall appearing regularly as a makeover and style experts giving fashion advice and guidelines on how to better overall appearances and giving numerous American women fashion makeovers. They also did an "Oprah bra and swimsuit intervention". Reflecting on differences in women's style and willingness to submit to makeovers between the UK and America, she stated that although there is not much difference, "The Americans are slightly less adventurous," and that "American women are more open to change and slightly more receptive victims."
in a deal reputedly worth £1.2 million to start a new show, Trinny & Susannah Undress...
, on 3 October. The second series of Trinny & Susannah Undress... was transmitted in June 2007, and it maintained the format of series one which saw Constantine and Woodall advising couples who were finding problems within their marriage.
Constantine found it warming that people could open up to them as confidantes, and also said "It's been fascinating to see how looking good and having faith in your appearance makes you into a sexier person, which makes you attractive to your partner again." Constantine stated in an interview that filming the show was very emotionally draining, and as a result, she often went home crying. The programme did not come without its critics who questioned the depth at which Constantine and Woodall could deal with serious issues raised during the programme. On 16 October 2006, they both appeared on NBC
's The Today Show and performed makeovers on three women especially for the show.
The new series on ITV saw a change in format, confronting the main fashion issues in Britain. In one episode exploring the theme of age, Constantine was transformed into a seventy-year-old with the use of prosthetics and makeup. She stated that it took her four days to get over the sight of herself aged so drastically, and compared the feeling to having an "electric shock". Broadcasting was scheduled for 7 November 2007 and the programme is newly entitled Trinny & Susannah Undress The Nation
. On 5 November and 28 December 2007 Constantine and Woodall appeared on Good Morning America
and performed makeovers on three women for the show and gave style advice according to the women's shapes. They also reported on the fashion at the 80th Academy Awards
especially for the show in 2008. Constantine and Woodall have dressed over 5,000 women as of 2007. With reference to their personal website, they state that their satisfaction remains with the many women they have helped and inspired and not so much with the success of book sales and viewing figures.
In 2003, when Constantine and Woodall were interviewed for the first time on Parkinson
, actress Meg Ryan
had a controversial interview with Michael Parkinson
, which resulted in negative publicity for Ryan. Parkinson said that he felt Ryan's behaviour to his fellow guests Constantine and Woodall, whom she turned her back on, was "unforgivable".
, they're designed to flatten the tummy, buttocks
and thighs. Constantine even wore them after giving birth to her third child. She currently co-writes a weekly column for The Sun
with Woodall.
"The cast consists of professional actors and standup comics, the dialogue is part-scripted, part-ad-libbed, and the overall effect is weirdly postmodern and surprisingly successful. The biggest surprise of all is Trinny and Susannah's acting ability, which is astonishingly convincing, even though, as they cheerfully point out, they're only playing hyperbolised versions of themselves."
Celebrity cameos are to include Lulu, David Guest, DJ Neil Fox, Vanessa Feltz and The Scissor Sisters.
Episode 1, part 1 aired Monday 21 June 2010 with daily updates, Mon-Thurs until 16 July, at www.TrinnyAndSusannahWhatTheyDidNext.com.
An announcement was made that Constantine and Woodall would be touring New Zealand and Australia where they made a series of public appearances at shopping malls owned by the Westfield Group to perform live styling sessions for the company's customers. Their appearances often attracted thousands of spectators. Before the tour, Constantine said "We don't know how New Zealanders dress but we are looking forward to getting over there and finding out."
, after orders rose by thirty per cent when Littlewoods sponsored their ITV programme Trinny & Susannah Undress. The pair produced a twelve page fashion advice section within the Littlewoods catalogue and made a booklet called The Golden Rules, which was distributed to all Littlewoods customers with fashion advice to suit a range of body shapes. They have also produced online style guidelines for Littlewoods.
The first series of Littlewoods television advertisements featured Constantine and Woodall as themselves dressed as two agents trying to rob a Littlewoods designer warehouse, which was followed by Christmas adverts in 2007. The £12 million advertising campaign is one of largest ever for a home shopping and internet-based company. Since the campaign began, Littlewoods' sales have risen by 18 per cent, with brand awareness and customers visiting the website rising as well.
On 20 September 2007, Constantine and Woodall launched their own exclusive Littlewoods women's clothing range which consists of trousers, coats and tops which like their underwear range, are designed to make certain areas appear slimmer. A series of eight dresses, cashmere knitwear
, faux fur and sequin
ned shrugs
also feature in the range. She commented "If you want to create a waist, there's a dress that's going to do that for you too. We've designed it very much around the female body." She also stated "It's not about what size you are, it's about how you can minimise or accentuate parts of your body with clothing. That's what we've created."
and The New York Times bestseller list
, and have been translated throughout the world.
Their most successful book to date, What Not to Wear, was published in 2002 which displayed striking chapters such as "Big Tits", "No Tits" and "Big Bum" with fashion advice for each category. It became an instant bestseller with total sales reaching 670,000 copies, consequently outselling Jamie Oliver
and Nigella Lawson
. Before the prime book selling season, their book had sold 250,000 copies in Britain. The book was at one point selling 45,000 copies each week and sold 300,000 copies in just fifteen weeks, eventually making sales worth £8.7 million. Other success with the book includes winning a British Book Award
in 2003 for the TV & Film Book of the Year. Despite the book becoming an instant hit, Constantine and Woodall were only given an advance of £10,000. It was then reported that Constantine and Woodall secured a £1 million book deal to write more of their fashion books.
The pair's latest book, The Body Shape Bible, was published on 18 September 2007. Through a survey about different body shapes conducted amongst women, Constantine and Woodall were able to discover the twelve most common women's body shapes. They used this information to write The Body Shape Bible which highlights these twelve shapes which have all been named in ways such as 'cornet' or 'brick'. In the fashion advice book, women can interpret which shape they are, and can then be given adequate fashion advice on their own individual shape. A few pages in the book are also devoted to illustrating some of Constantine and Woodall's own fashion disasters.
in the Leicestershire
village of Knipton
and went hunting
from the age of seven. She had a close relationship with her father, Joseph Constantine, who was successful in the property and shipping sectors, was an Old Etonian
pupil and served in the Coldstream Guards
. When she was young, Constantine would rely on her father for fashion advice and has commented that any style that she has, she learned from him. He was a talented artist and was offered worldwide art exhibitions, although he was too modest to accept. His death came suddenly and was a milestone for Constantine.
Constantine became a fixture in 1980s British gossip columns and newspapers as the result of her relationship with Princess Margaret's son, David, Viscount Linley which lasted for eight years. Princess Margaret thought highly of Constantine and even called her "my daughter-in-law". Constantine admitted that her relationship with Linley undeniably opened doors for her, but after they broke up, she was keen to put the episode behind her and become well-known in her own right. She has also had a relationship with Pakistan cricket captain Imran Khan
, but she is now married to Danish entrepreneur and businessman Sten Bertelsen, who launched Death cigarettes, and with whom she has three children; Joe, Esme and CeCe. Lulu
is godmother to one of her children, and she has also said "All my children have gay godfathers. I just love all gay men." Constantine and her family have recently bought a 120 acre (0.4856232 km²) property in Sussex
. Constantine is estimated to be worth £5 million.
After having her first child, Constantine suffered from severe postnatal depression and panic attacks. Upon discovering that she was pregnant for a third time, as well as being overcome with delight, she felt despair as it came at a time when best friend Trinny Woodall was struggling to conceive and undergoing IVF treatment. In an interview Constantine said that she "couldn't bear to tell her." A short time later however, Woodall became pregnant.
Constantine has spoken of the pressure to look good in public but affirms "We're as much in the business of dressing ourselves - but more importantly helping other women to do that." Constantine has admitted to a fear of growing older: "I just don't want to get old. Old women are invisible, and I don't want to be invisible," she has said.
In 2002, while on a visit to the Cannes film festival
, Constantine and Woodall were the victims of gem thieves. The thieves broke into the villa on the French Riviera
where they were staying, rendered Constantine and Woodall unconscious with chloroform
, and then continued to steal money and jewellery. Carol Vorderman
was involved in a feud with Constantine and Woodall in 2003. Vorderman commented harshly about the double-act, after they had called her an "overdone Eighties nightmare" and named Vorderman in their list of the 20 worst-dressed celebrities.
Fashion journalism
Fashion journalism is an umbrella term used to describe all aspects of published fashion media. It includes fashion writers, fashion critics or fashion reporters...
, advisor, television presenter, author and designer. Her second book, entitled What Not to Wear, has won her a prestigious British Book Award
British Book Awards
The Galaxy National Book Awards are a series of British literary awards focused on the best UK writers and their works, as selected by an academy of members from the British book publishing industry...
and sold 670,000 copies.
Constantine was born into a wealthy family; her father was successful in property and shipping sectors. She was privately educated as a child and went on to date British royalty, David, Viscount Linley, during the 1980s. Constantine has been involved in fashion for a long period, originally working in America for Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani is an Italian fashion designer, particularly noted for his menswear. He is known today for his clean, tailored lines. He formed his company, Armani, in 1975, and by 2001 was acclaimed as the most successful designer to come out of Italy, with an annual turnover of $1.6 billion and a...
and then John Galliano
John Galliano
John Charles Galliano CBE, RDI is a Gibraltan-born British fashion designer who was best known as head designer of French haute couture houses Givenchy and Christian Dior , and his own self titled fashion house.-Family:He was born in Gibraltar to a Gibraltarian father, Juan Galliano, and a...
in London. She met Trinny Woodall
Trinny Woodall
Trinny Woodall is an English fashion advisor and designer, television presenter and author. She was raised in a wealthy family and was privately educated...
in 1994 who both proceeded to write a weekly fashion column, Ready to Wear. They founded Ready2shop.com
Ready2shop.com
Ready2shop.com was a British dot-com fashion advice business co-founded in November 1999 by fashion gurus Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine. Backed by venture capital from J.H. Whitney & Co. and Atlas Venture, the business ceased trading after running out of funding following major cuts in...
, a dot-com
Dot-com company
A dot-com company, or simply a dot-com , is a company that does most of its business on the Internet, usually through a website that uses the popular top-level domain, ".com" .While the term can refer to present-day companies, it is also used specifically to refer to companies with...
fashion advice business, and wrote their first fashion advice book in 2000, Ready 2 Dress, both of which failed. From there they were commissioned to BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
to host the style series, What Not to Wear, from 2001 to 2005. She made regular appearances as a style advisor on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
and following her success on the shows, she went on to co-host Trinny & Susannah Undress...
Trinny & Susannah Undress...
Trinny & Susannah Undress... is a British reality makeover and fashion-themed television programme on ITV featuring fashion advisors Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine....
on ITV in 2006 and Undress the Nation in 2007. Constantine and Woodall have now dressed over 5,000 women.
She has co-written many fashion advice books with Woodall, some of which have become bestsellers in the United Kingdom and United States. It is estimated that her various style advice books have sold 2.5 million copies in Britain and the United States. Constantine and Woodall have designed their own clothing range for Littlewoods
Littlewoods Shop Direct Group
Shop Direct Group is the United Kingdom's leading online retailer, and its largest home shopping company. It is based in the Speke area of the city of Liverpool, in Merseyside, England...
which made its debut in 2007, followed by the release of their latest fashion advice book, The Body Shape Bible.
Education
Constantine was privately educated at boarding schools including Queen's Gate SchoolQueen's Gate School
Queen's Gate School is an all girls' independent school in South Kensington, London.The Good Schools Guide described it as a "Charming popular school, with a mixed intake, which does jolly well by its girls."The school is located in Central London...
in South Kensington
South Kensington
South Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. It is a built-up area located 2.4 miles west south-west of Charing Cross....
, London and the £20,000-per-year St Mary's School
St Mary's School, Wantage
St Mary's School was an Anglican private girls' school located in Wantage, Oxfordshire, England, between 1873 and 2007, when it merged with Heathfield School to become Heathfield St Mary's. The school was popular with the British aristocracy.-History:...
in Wantage
Wantage
Wantage is a market town and civil parish in the Vale of the White Horse, Oxfordshire, England. The town is on Letcombe Brook, about south-west of Abingdon and a similar distance west of Didcot....
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
which was run by Anglican nuns. Her time at St Mary's School was described by herself as "miserable" due to her homesickness and insecurity, meaning she was not able to make friends. She was first sent to boarding school at the age of 11 years, and recalls her first night away from home: "I sobbed uncontrollably into my pillow."
In mid 2007, Constantine spoke about how she received a letter from St Mary's School, inviting her to come back to the school to talk about her career and success to current pupils. Constantine immediately declined the offer with a four-letter refusal and wrote "No fucking way" on the letter she had received. Her personal assistant, who was left to deal with the situation, wrongly sent the original letter of invitation (containing Constantine's hand-written note) back to the school. The school then wrote a letter back, stating that she is not welcome near the school.
Early career
Constantine originally did a year of Montessori training after she had left school but she then moved onto other projects such as studying sculpture in BrusselsBrussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. She later said of this time that she "lost [her] virginity, went a bit mad." Constantine had taught children for three years, and also worked as a shop girl for Harrods
Harrods
Harrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air...
. She found the job, in her own words, "boring" and even tried shoplifting
Shoplifting
Shoplifting is theft of goods from a retail establishment. It is one of the most common property crimes dealt with by police and courts....
for the sake of excitement, but she has since expressed admiration for shop girls. Constantine's love for horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s had inspired her to become a mounted police
Mounted police
Mounted police are police who patrol on horseback or camelback. They continue to serve in remote areas and in metropolitan areas where their day-to-day function may be picturesque or ceremonial, but they are also employed in crowd control because of their mobile mass and height advantage and...
woman in London, but was deterred when she found she was required to do four years walking the beat. She wrote a book about present giving, which prompted The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
to write a hostile article implying she had never done a day's work in her life, something which deeply upset her. She has stated defiantly "I've always worked."
She is now best-known as a fashion guru and style advisor. Her fashion career started when she worked for many years as a shop girl in America for Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani is an Italian fashion designer, particularly noted for his menswear. He is known today for his clean, tailored lines. He formed his company, Armani, in 1975, and by 2001 was acclaimed as the most successful designer to come out of Italy, with an annual turnover of $1.6 billion and a...
. She later came back to London with the hope of securing a job with Armani but ended up working for designers such as Richard James, Patrick Cox
Patrick Cox
Patrick Cox is a Canadian–British fashion designer and an eponymous fashion label specializing in the creation of shoes, leather goods and accessories...
, Alistair Blair and John Galliano
John Galliano
John Charles Galliano CBE, RDI is a Gibraltan-born British fashion designer who was best known as head designer of French haute couture houses Givenchy and Christian Dior , and his own self titled fashion house.-Family:He was born in Gibraltar to a Gibraltarian father, Juan Galliano, and a...
which gained her an even greater understanding of fashion, providing an in depth knowledge of how a garment progresses from a sketch. She then started working with the British Brain and Spine Foundation and consequently met the sports editor of The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
. Whilst doing a piece for GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
, he asked Constantine to report the women's World Cup Final in cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
on finding out that it was her passion. She proceeded to write about cars and then fashion.
In 1994, she first met Trinny Woodall
Trinny Woodall
Trinny Woodall is an English fashion advisor and designer, television presenter and author. She was raised in a wealthy family and was privately educated...
at a party hosted by David, Viscount Linley. Though they did not like each other at first, the two women proceeded to write Ready to Wear, a weekly style guide for The Daily Telegraph which ran successfully for seven years. The column promoted affordable high-street fashion and they used themselves to illustrate which clothing suited which figure. Constantine and Woodall also became the co-founders of Ready2shop.com
Ready2shop.com
Ready2shop.com was a British dot-com fashion advice business co-founded in November 1999 by fashion gurus Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine. Backed by venture capital from J.H. Whitney & Co. and Atlas Venture, the business ceased trading after running out of funding following major cuts in...
, a dot-com
Dot-com company
A dot-com company, or simply a dot-com , is a company that does most of its business on the Internet, usually through a website that uses the popular top-level domain, ".com" .While the term can refer to present-day companies, it is also used specifically to refer to companies with...
, but the business venture failed, and investors subsequently lost a reputed £10 million. It was during their time running the internet business that they had a serious argument that almost ended their friendship.
Constantine made her television debut when Granada Sky Broadcasting signed her and Woodall to present a daytime shopping show called Ready to Wear, and they soon released their first fashion advice book, Ready 2 Dress in 2000. The book was unsuccessful and resulted in the pulping of 13,000 copies. Soon after the start of their television career, they secured a frequent makeover slot on the show Richard & Judy
Richard & Judy
Richard & Judy was a British magazine/chat show which was presented by married couple Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan. It originally aired on Channel 4 from 2001 to 2008 but later moved to digital channel Watch in October 2008. It featured the world's most famous stars, along with their Book Club...
. It ensured that they had further exposure in television and gained attention from Jane Root
Jane Root
Jane Root is a creative executive in the media industry, who has run major television networks on both sides of the Atlantic...
, controller of BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
, who took a risk and signed them up after their book venture and their internet business had failed badly.
2001—2003
Constantine began co-hosting What Not to Wear with Trinny Woodall in 2001, which required using her fashion advice and expertise in order to reform participants' appearances and fashion style. Constantine and Woodall hosted What Not to Wear until 2005 and became renowned for their tactile behaviour with the participants, direct advice, and frequently referring to breastBreast
The breast is the upper ventral region of the torso of a primate, in left and right sides, which in a female contains the mammary gland that secretes milk used to feed infants.Both men and women develop breasts from the same embryological tissues...
s as tits which has become something of a trademark. Never one to hold back, a notorious moment arose when Constantine spontaneously pulled a female candidate's underwear down during filming as her knicker line was visible. Critics of What Not to Wear argued that the duo were too patronising to their subjects, a claim which they strongly disagree with. Constantine said that the comments come "from the heart", and insists that their subjects "see we have a genuine love of women. We love women and they can see that. Women just know." She also stated "Ultimately, what we're doing is giving people confidence. We're probably the only people who have an opinion, who care how ordinary people dress. No one at Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
magazine gives a shit. They work with the designers, it's more creative and artistic — they are creating something beautiful. But they don't care about how their readers end up looking — whereas we do!" The show made Constantine and Woodall household names and they are now known together as Trinny and Susannah
Trinny and Susannah
Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine are two British fashion advisors, presenters and authors. They originally joined to write a weekly style column in The Daily Telegraph which lasted for seven years, but they are best-known for presenting the BBC television series What Not to Wear for five...
. One reporter has simply referred to Constantine as "the one with 'big tits'." Constantine and Woodall have even considered taking insurance out on their partnership should something unforeseen happen, although Constantine was against the move.
During her time co-hosting What Not to Wear for five series, she and Woodall gained recognition for their work on the show, winning a Royal Television Society Award in 2002 for being the best factual presenters. In 2002, Constantine advised Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May...
on a celebrity version of What Not to Wear. After Clarkson appeared on the show, Nasir Khan stated "I'd rather eat my own hair than shop with these two [Constantine and Woodall] again". Adding to its success, the show was nominated for the Features Award at the BAFTAS in both 2002 and 2003. On the show Big Impression
Big Impression
The Big Impression, known as Alistair McGowan's Big Impression for the first three series, is a British comedy sketch show. It features Alistair McGowan and Ronni Ancona impersonating personalities from entertainment and sport...
, impressionist Ronni Ancona
Ronni Ancona
Ronni Ancona is a Scottish actress, impressionist and author. Ancona won the Best TV Comedy Actress award at the 2003 British Comedy Awards for her work in Big Impression.- Career :...
took to spoofing Constantine's presenting techniques on What Not to Wear, just one of the shows on which Constantine's character has been spoofed.
For charity, in 2002 during the BBC's Children in Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
programme, both Constantine and Woodall performed their own version of Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's hit single "Vogue" with a group of celebrity backing singers. They became the faces of Nescafé
Nescafé
Nescafé is a brand of instant coffee made by Nestlé. It comes in the form of many different products. The name is a portmanteau of the words "Nestlé" and "café". Nestlé's flagship powdered coffee product was introduced in Switzerland on April 1, 1938 after being developed for seven or eight years...
in 2003 in which they were featured in television advertisements promoting the brand of coffee. As part of their contract, Constantine and Woodall gave a Nescafé competition winner a £10,000 makeover.
2004—2005
Following its ratings success, What Not to Wear was promoted from BBC TwoBBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
to BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
in 2004, and secured even larger audiences. The format was changed slightly, to a 60 minute show with two makeovers instead of a 30 minute show with only one makeover and also saw Constantine spending a day as one of her subjects. What Not to Wear soon gained her international fame when it was aired in countries such as Spain and Portugal as well as in the American continent
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
.
Constantine appeared on Children in Need in 2004, which included a special segment in which she gave the fictional EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
characters Little Mo
Little Mo Mitchell
Maureen "Little Mo" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Kacey Ainsworth.-Storylines:...
and Mo Harris
Mo Harris
Maureen "Big Mo" Harris is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, who has been in the series since 18 September 2000, played by Laila Morse. Mo is also played by Lorraine Stanley in a soap 'bubble' Pat and Mo, delving into her past with Pat Evans, which aired in 2004...
a makeover in the style of What Not to Wear, commenting on them with her usual "no nonsense" approach. In 2005, Constantine voiced a robot version of herself in the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
series, Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
. In the episode "Bad Wolf
Bad Wolf
"Bad Wolf" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on June 11, 2005. The TARDIS crew find themselves trapped in the Gamestation, also known as Satellite 5, where they must battle to survive the cruel games...
", Trine-e and Zu-Zana were two robots acting out a deadly futuristic version of What not to Wear, offering a makeover to Jack Harkness
Jack Harkness
Captain Jack Harkness is a fictional character played by John Barrowman in Doctor Who and its spin-off series, Torchwood. He first appeared in the 2005 Doctor Who episode "The Empty Child" and reappeared in the remaining episodes of the 2005 series as a companion of the ninth incarnation of the...
in a most gruesome form.
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
has also seen Constantine and Woodall appearing regularly as a makeover and style experts giving fashion advice and guidelines on how to better overall appearances and giving numerous American women fashion makeovers. They also did an "Oprah bra and swimsuit intervention". Reflecting on differences in women's style and willingness to submit to makeovers between the UK and America, she stated that although there is not much difference, "The Americans are slightly less adventurous," and that "American women are more open to change and slightly more receptive victims."
2006—present
In 2006, Constantine and Woodall moved from the BBC to ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
in a deal reputedly worth £1.2 million to start a new show, Trinny & Susannah Undress...
Trinny & Susannah Undress...
Trinny & Susannah Undress... is a British reality makeover and fashion-themed television programme on ITV featuring fashion advisors Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine....
, on 3 October. The second series of Trinny & Susannah Undress... was transmitted in June 2007, and it maintained the format of series one which saw Constantine and Woodall advising couples who were finding problems within their marriage.
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's The Today Show and performed makeovers on three women especially for the show.
The new series on ITV saw a change in format, confronting the main fashion issues in Britain. In one episode exploring the theme of age, Constantine was transformed into a seventy-year-old with the use of prosthetics and makeup. She stated that it took her four days to get over the sight of herself aged so drastically, and compared the feeling to having an "electric shock". Broadcasting was scheduled for 7 November 2007 and the programme is newly entitled Trinny & Susannah Undress The Nation
Trinny & Susannah Undress the Nation
Trinny & Susannah Undress the Nation is a British reality fashion-themed television documentary series on ITV featuring fashion advisors Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine....
. On 5 November and 28 December 2007 Constantine and Woodall appeared on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
and performed makeovers on three women for the show and gave style advice according to the women's shapes. They also reported on the fashion at the 80th Academy Awards
80th Academy Awards
The 80th Academy Awards ceremony honored the best films in 2007 and was broadcast from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California on ABC beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST/8:30 p.m. EST, February 24, 2008 . During the ceremony, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented Academy Awards in 24...
especially for the show in 2008. Constantine and Woodall have dressed over 5,000 women as of 2007. With reference to their personal website, they state that their satisfaction remains with the many women they have helped and inspired and not so much with the success of book sales and viewing figures.
In 2003, when Constantine and Woodall were interviewed for the first time on Parkinson
Parkinson (TV series)
Parkinson is a British television talk show that was presented by Sir Michael Parkinson. It was first shown on the BBC from 1971 to 2004, and on ITV from 2004 to 2007.-Background:...
, actress Meg Ryan
Meg Ryan
Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra , professionally known as Meg Ryan, is an American actress and producer. Raised in Bethel, Connecticut, Ryan began her acting career in 1981 in minor roles, before joining the cast of the CBS soap opera As the World Turns in 1982...
had a controversial interview with Michael Parkinson
Michael Parkinson
Sir Michael Parkinson, CBE is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his interview programme, Parkinson, from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007.- Early life :...
, which resulted in negative publicity for Ryan. Parkinson said that he felt Ryan's behaviour to his fellow guests Constantine and Woodall, whom she turned her back on, was "unforgivable".
Beyond television work
To coincide with Constantine's move from the BBC to ITV1 in 2006, she co-launched an underwear range with Woodall called "Trinny and Susannah Magic Pants". Made of nylonNylon
Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers known generically as polyamides, first produced on February 28, 1935, by Wallace Carothers at DuPont's research facility at the DuPont Experimental Station...
, they're designed to flatten the tummy, buttocks
Buttocks
The buttocks are two rounded portions of the anatomy, located on the posterior of the pelvic region of apes and humans, and many other bipeds or quadrupeds, and comprise a layer of fat superimposed on the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles. Physiologically, the buttocks enable weight to...
and thighs. Constantine even wore them after giving birth to her third child. She currently co-writes a weekly column for The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
with Woodall.
Online
The Guardian reports Trinny and Susannah are in a new online series - produced by t5m Studios - "What Trinny and Susannah Did Next is a mockumentary – an elaborately knowing spoof – part Alan Partridge, part The Office, part The Thick of It. There's even a touch of Borat.""The cast consists of professional actors and standup comics, the dialogue is part-scripted, part-ad-libbed, and the overall effect is weirdly postmodern and surprisingly successful. The biggest surprise of all is Trinny and Susannah's acting ability, which is astonishingly convincing, even though, as they cheerfully point out, they're only playing hyperbolised versions of themselves."
Celebrity cameos are to include Lulu, David Guest, DJ Neil Fox, Vanessa Feltz and The Scissor Sisters.
Episode 1, part 1 aired Monday 21 June 2010 with daily updates, Mon-Thurs until 16 July, at www.TrinnyAndSusannahWhatTheyDidNext.com.
An announcement was made that Constantine and Woodall would be touring New Zealand and Australia where they made a series of public appearances at shopping malls owned by the Westfield Group to perform live styling sessions for the company's customers. Their appearances often attracted thousands of spectators. Before the tour, Constantine said "We don't know how New Zealanders dress but we are looking forward to getting over there and finding out."
Littlewoods
With Woodall, Constantine became the face of the home shopping company, Littlewoods DirectLittlewoods Shop Direct Group
Shop Direct Group is the United Kingdom's leading online retailer, and its largest home shopping company. It is based in the Speke area of the city of Liverpool, in Merseyside, England...
, after orders rose by thirty per cent when Littlewoods sponsored their ITV programme Trinny & Susannah Undress. The pair produced a twelve page fashion advice section within the Littlewoods catalogue and made a booklet called The Golden Rules, which was distributed to all Littlewoods customers with fashion advice to suit a range of body shapes. They have also produced online style guidelines for Littlewoods.
The first series of Littlewoods television advertisements featured Constantine and Woodall as themselves dressed as two agents trying to rob a Littlewoods designer warehouse, which was followed by Christmas adverts in 2007. The £12 million advertising campaign is one of largest ever for a home shopping and internet-based company. Since the campaign began, Littlewoods' sales have risen by 18 per cent, with brand awareness and customers visiting the website rising as well.
On 20 September 2007, Constantine and Woodall launched their own exclusive Littlewoods women's clothing range which consists of trousers, coats and tops which like their underwear range, are designed to make certain areas appear slimmer. A series of eight dresses, cashmere knitwear
Cashmere wool
Cashmere wool, usually simply known as cashmere, is a fiber obtained from Cashmere and other types of goats. The word cashmere derives from an old spelling of Kashmir. Cashmere is fine in texture, and strong, light, and soft. Garments made from it provide excellent...
, faux fur and sequin
Sequin
Sequins are disk-shaped beads used for decorative purposes. They are available in a wide variety of colors and geometrical shapes. Sequins are commonly used on clothing, jewelry, bags, shoes and lots of other accessories. Large sequins, fastened only at the top, have been used on billboards and...
ned shrugs
Shrug (clothing)
A shrug is a cropped, cardigan-like garment with short or long sleeves, typically knitted. Generally, a shrug covers less of the body than a vest would, but it is more tailored than a shawl. Shrugs are typically worn as the outermost layer of an outfit, with a full shirt, tank top, or dress...
also feature in the range. She commented "If you want to create a waist, there's a dress that's going to do that for you too. We've designed it very much around the female body." She also stated "It's not about what size you are, it's about how you can minimise or accentuate parts of your body with clothing. That's what we've created."
Books
Constantine has co-written several style advice books with her fashion partner Trinny Woodall, which have sold over an estimated 2.5 million copies worldwide. The fashion advice books have been number one bestsellers in Britain and the United States, appearing on both The Sunday Times bestseller listThe Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
and The New York Times bestseller list
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
, and have been translated throughout the world.
Their most successful book to date, What Not to Wear, was published in 2002 which displayed striking chapters such as "Big Tits", "No Tits" and "Big Bum" with fashion advice for each category. It became an instant bestseller with total sales reaching 670,000 copies, consequently outselling Jamie Oliver
Jamie Oliver
James "Jamie" Trevor Oliver, MBE , sometimes known as The Naked Chef, is an English chef, restaurateur and media personality, known for his food-focused television shows, cookbooks and more recently his campaign against the use of processed foods in national schools...
and Nigella Lawson
Nigella Lawson
Nigella Lucy Lawson is an English food writer, journalist and broadcaster. Lawson is the daughter of Nigel Lawson, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Vanessa Salmon, whose family owned the J. Lyons and Co. empire...
. Before the prime book selling season, their book had sold 250,000 copies in Britain. The book was at one point selling 45,000 copies each week and sold 300,000 copies in just fifteen weeks, eventually making sales worth £8.7 million. Other success with the book includes winning a British Book Award
British Book Awards
The Galaxy National Book Awards are a series of British literary awards focused on the best UK writers and their works, as selected by an academy of members from the British book publishing industry...
in 2003 for the TV & Film Book of the Year. Despite the book becoming an instant hit, Constantine and Woodall were only given an advance of £10,000. It was then reported that Constantine and Woodall secured a £1 million book deal to write more of their fashion books.
The pair's latest book, The Body Shape Bible, was published on 18 September 2007. Through a survey about different body shapes conducted amongst women, Constantine and Woodall were able to discover the twelve most common women's body shapes. They used this information to write The Body Shape Bible which highlights these twelve shapes which have all been named in ways such as 'cornet' or 'brick'. In the fashion advice book, women can interpret which shape they are, and can then be given adequate fashion advice on their own individual shape. A few pages in the book are also devoted to illustrating some of Constantine and Woodall's own fashion disasters.
Personal life
Constantine grew up in an old prioryPriory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
in the Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
village of Knipton
Knipton
Knipton, is a small village in the English county of Leicestershire. It is located around six miles from the town of Grantham just off the A607, and ten miles from Melton Mowbray...
and went hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
from the age of seven. She had a close relationship with her father, Joseph Constantine, who was successful in the property and shipping sectors, was an Old Etonian
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
pupil and served in the Coldstream Guards
Coldstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
. When she was young, Constantine would rely on her father for fashion advice and has commented that any style that she has, she learned from him. He was a talented artist and was offered worldwide art exhibitions, although he was too modest to accept. His death came suddenly and was a milestone for Constantine.
Constantine became a fixture in 1980s British gossip columns and newspapers as the result of her relationship with Princess Margaret's son, David, Viscount Linley which lasted for eight years. Princess Margaret thought highly of Constantine and even called her "my daughter-in-law". Constantine admitted that her relationship with Linley undeniably opened doors for her, but after they broke up, she was keen to put the episode behind her and become well-known in her own right. She has also had a relationship with Pakistan cricket captain Imran Khan
Imran Khan
Imran Khan Niazi is a Pakistani politician and former Pakistani cricketer, playing international cricket for two decades in the late twentieth century. After retiring, he entered politics...
, but she is now married to Danish entrepreneur and businessman Sten Bertelsen, who launched Death cigarettes, and with whom she has three children; Joe, Esme and CeCe. Lulu
Lulu (singer)
Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day...
is godmother to one of her children, and she has also said "All my children have gay godfathers. I just love all gay men." Constantine and her family have recently bought a 120 acre (0.4856232 km²) property in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
. Constantine is estimated to be worth £5 million.
After having her first child, Constantine suffered from severe postnatal depression and panic attacks. Upon discovering that she was pregnant for a third time, as well as being overcome with delight, she felt despair as it came at a time when best friend Trinny Woodall was struggling to conceive and undergoing IVF treatment. In an interview Constantine said that she "couldn't bear to tell her." A short time later however, Woodall became pregnant.
Constantine has spoken of the pressure to look good in public but affirms "We're as much in the business of dressing ourselves - but more importantly helping other women to do that." Constantine has admitted to a fear of growing older: "I just don't want to get old. Old women are invisible, and I don't want to be invisible," she has said.
In 2002, while on a visit to the Cannes film festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
, Constantine and Woodall were the victims of gem thieves. The thieves broke into the villa on the French Riviera
French Riviera
The Côte d'Azur, pronounced , often known in English as the French Riviera , is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France, also including the sovereign state of Monaco...
where they were staying, rendered Constantine and Woodall unconscious with chloroform
Chloroform
Chloroform is an organic compound with formula CHCl3. It is one of the four chloromethanes. The colorless, sweet-smelling, dense liquid is a trihalomethane, and is considered somewhat hazardous...
, and then continued to steal money and jewellery. Carol Vorderman
Carol Vorderman
Carol Jean Vorderman MBE is a British media personality, best known for co-hosting the popular game show Countdown for 26 years from 1982 to 2008. In September 2011 she became a co-anchor of the ITV1 panel show Loose Women....
was involved in a feud with Constantine and Woodall in 2003. Vorderman commented harshly about the double-act, after they had called her an "overdone Eighties nightmare" and named Vorderman in their list of the 20 worst-dressed celebrities.
Television appearances
| Year | Programme | Other notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2001–2005 | What Not to Wear | Herself |
| 2002 | The Kumars at No. 42 The Kumars at No. 42 The Kumars at No. 42 was a British television show. It won an International Emmy in 2002 and in 2003. It ran for seven series totalling 53 episodes.-Plot:... |
Herself, interview |
| 2003 | What Not to Wear on the Red Carpet | Herself |
| 2003 | V Graham Norton V Graham Norton V Graham Norton was an entertainment programme shown on Channel 4 in the UK starring Graham Norton, broadcast every weeknight as a successor to the weekly So Graham Norton. It aired from 6 May 2002 to 26 December 2003. It featured celebrities who chatted with Graham and became involved in studio... |
Herself, interview |
| 2003 | Parkinson Parkinson (TV series) Parkinson is a British television talk show that was presented by Sir Michael Parkinson. It was first shown on the BBC from 1971 to 2004, and on ITV from 2004 to 2007.-Background:... |
Herself, interview |
| 2004 | The Terry and Gaby Show The Terry and Gaby Show The Terry and Gaby Show was a daytime television show broadcast on Five on weekday mornings between June 2003 and April 2004, produced by Chris Evans' company UMTV. It was hosted by Terry Wogan and Gaby Roslin.... |
Herself, interview |
| 2004 | Friday Night with Jonathan Ross Friday Night with Jonathan Ross Friday Night with Jonathan Ross was a British comedy chat show presented by Jonathan Ross. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 2 November 2001. The programme featured Ross's take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews and live music from both a guest music group and the house band... |
Herself, interview |
| 2004 | Children in Need Children in Need Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long... |
Herself |
| 2004 | Top Gear Top Gear (current format) Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style... |
Herself, interview and racing |
| 2004 | This Morning This Morning (TV series) This Morning is a British daytime television programme broadcast on ITV. As of September 2011, its main presenters are Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, with various other presenters standing in for illness or contributing to sections of the programme.The... |
Herself, interview |
| 2005 | Comic Relief: Red Nose Night Live 05 | Herself |
| 2005 | Parkinson | Herself, interview |
| 2005 | This Morning | Herself, interview |
| 2005 | Doctor Who Doctor Who Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior... |
Episode "Bad Wolf Bad Wolf "Bad Wolf" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on June 11, 2005. The TARDIS crew find themselves trapped in the Gamestation, also known as Satellite 5, where they must battle to survive the cruel games... ", voice of Zu-Zana |
| 2006 | Parkinson | Herself, interview |
| 2006 | This Morning | Herself, interview |
| 2006 | Sport Relief Sport Relief Sport Relief is a biennial charity event from Comic Relief, in association with BBC Sport, which brings together the worlds of sport and entertainment to raise money to help vulnerable people in both the UK and the world's poorest countries... |
Herself |
| 2006 | Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway | Herself, interview |
| 2006 | The Sharon Osbourne Show The Sharon Osbourne Show The Sharon Osbourne Show refers to either of two TV chat shows hosted by Sharon Osbourne – the original US version, or the more recent UK version. These are described separately below.-US version :... |
Herself, interview |
| 2006 | The View | Herself, interview |
| 2006 | The Today Show | Herself, interview |
| 2006–2007 | Trinny & Susannah Undress... Trinny & Susannah Undress... Trinny & Susannah Undress... is a British reality makeover and fashion-themed television programme on ITV featuring fashion advisors Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine.... |
Herself |
| 2007 | Richard & Judy Richard & Judy Richard & Judy was a British magazine/chat show which was presented by married couple Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan. It originally aired on Channel 4 from 2001 to 2008 but later moved to digital channel Watch in October 2008. It featured the world's most famous stars, along with their Book Club... |
Herself, interview |
| 2007 | Happy Birthday Elton! | Herself |
| 2007 | Friday Night With Jonathan Ross | Herself, interview |
| 2007 | GMTV GMTV GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end... ; LK Today |
Herself, interview |
| 2007 | Good Morning America Good Morning America Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now... |
Herself, interview |
| 2007 | This Morning | Interview and bra advice |
| 2009 | Making Over America | Herself |
| 2010 | Trinny & Susannah: Missie Vlaanderen | Herself |
| 2011 | "Trinny & Susannah: Making Over Israel" (Channel 10, Israel) | Herself |
External links
- Trinny and Susannah's website
- Trinny & Susannah Undress at itv.comItv.comitv.com is the main website of ITV plc, the UK's largest commercial television broadcaster which operates 11 out of 15 regions on the ITV network under the ITV1 brand. The website offers on-line streaming, ITV archive, news, sport, entertainment, games, soaps, lifestyle, drama and an interactive TV...
- Trinny and Susannah: What They Did Next