Trinny and Susannah
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Born: |  London, England |
|---|---|
| Occupation: | Fashion journalists |
| Website: | [1] |
Trinny and Susannah are Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine, who are well-known and award-winning British fashion gurus, television personalities, presenters and authors. They are best known for previously presenting the BBC television series What Not to Wear. They have written several successful fashion advice books and hosted their own series Trinny & Susannah Undress.
Contents |
[edit] Career
Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine teamed up in 1994 to write Ready to Wear, a weekly style guide for the Daily Telegraph. Their successful column ran for seven years. The double act had previously met at a dinner party hosted by David, Viscount Linley.[1] Woodall and Constantine became the co-founders of Ready2shop.com, a dot-com fashion advice business. It ceased trading after running out of funding in November 2000 and was dissolved in July 2001. They grasped their first chance at working on television when Granada Sky Broadcasting signed them up to host a daytime shopping show, also called Ready to Wear. Soon after their television debut, they received a frequent makeover slot on talk show Richard & Judy. It gained them further exposure and gained attention from Jane Root, controller of BBC Two, who signed them up, even after their book Ready to Dress, and their internet business, Ready2shop.com had been less than successful .[2]
They proceeded to become prominent in the public view, as the hosts and fashion gurus on the BBC style series What Not to Wear, where they used their knowledge on fashion and harsh comments to reform the appearances and style of the candidates. They hosted the show for five series, from 2001 to 2005. In later series it saw Woodall and Constantine to spend a day as their candidates, where they would drive their cars and spend time working in their jobs. During their time presenting What Not to Wear, they gained recognition for their work, when they won a Royal Television Society Award in 2002 for being the best factual presenters.[3] In the same year Jeremy Clarkson was featured on a celebrity What Not to Wear where they game him a makeover[4] and in 2003, they both did a spin-off show; What Not to Wear on the Red Carpet in which they reformed Jo Brand and Sophie Raworth's appearances. The duo later became known in America, when BBC America aired their show What Not to Wear and proved popular with viewers.
They also voiced a robot version of themselves, in the science fiction series Doctor Who, in the episode Bad Wolf in 2005, which saw the gynoids Trine-e and Zu-Zana presenting a deadly futuristic version of What Not to Wear. Also in 2005, Woodall and Constantine helped contribute to the live BBC coverage of The Royal Wedding of Charles and Camilla, as fashion and contemporary social commentators.[5]
They both defected from the BBC to ITV, and started their new show, Trinny & Susannah Undress on 3 October 2006. What Not to Wear has since been taken over by Lisa Butcher and Mica Paris. Constantine and Woodall have appeared on Parkinson a total of three times, as well as numerous other chat shows. They also appeared on Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car, which is a recurring segment on the BBC Two motoring programme Top Gear. In 2003 when Woodall and Constantine appeared on Parkinson, actress Meg Ryan had a controversial interview with Michael Parkinson, which for several reasons, resulted in negative publicity. Parkinson said that he felt her behaviour to his fellow guests; Woodall and Constantine, whom she turned her back on, was "unforgivable".[6]
Woodall and Constantine have also appeared frequently as a makeover experts on The Oprah Winfrey Show where they gave fashion advice and tips, on how to improve your overall appearance. The show saw them giving numerous American citizens makeovers and a thoroughly improved appearance.[7]
[edit] Other work
They both became the faces of Nescafé in the same year, when they were featured in advertisements promoting the brand of coffee. They also became the faces of Littlewoods when orders rose thirty per cent during its sponsorship of their ITV programme Trinny & Susannah Undress. During that time in 2006, the pair also provided twelve pages of fashion advice within the Littlewoods catalogue. They also compiled a booklet called The Golden Rules, which was distributed to all Littlewoods customers with fashion advice to suit all body shapes.[8]
For charity, Woodall and Constantine have appeared on Comic Relief: Red Nose Night Live 05 and on Children in Need in 2004. Children in Need saw the double act, acting out a special segment, showing them giving the fictional EastEnders characters Little Mo and Mo Harris a makeover à la What Not to Wear.[9]
Together, they have also written several successful fashion books, some include What Not to Wear and What You Wear Can Change Your Life. Their fashion advice books have been number one bestsellers in Britain and the United States and have been translated throughout the world.[10] It was reported that Woodall and Constantine secured a £1 million book deal to write more of their fashion books.[11] Their books have gained them further success, when their book What Not to Wear won them a notable British Book Award in 2003 for "The TV & Film Book of the Year".[12] The book What Not to Wear also outsold Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson when sale figures reached a total of 670,000 copies.[13]
In 2006, they both launched their own underwear range; "Trinny and Susannah Magic Pants" which are made of Nylon, designed to flatten the tummy and buttocks and thighs so they appear slimmer and compact.[14] Woodall and Constantine currently write a weekly column for The Sun.
[edit] Popular culture
- On the show Big Impression, Alistair McGowan and Ronni Ancona took to spoofing Woodall's and Constantine's presenting techniques in What Not to Wear..[15]
- Woodall and Constantine appeared as cartoon versions of themselves in the comic Viz. After seeing the cartoon strip, they threatened to sue the comic after being portrayed as horrible school bullies.[16]
- Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders made a reference to the duo in their comedy sketch show French & Saunders.
- They were also spoofed in a sketch on 2DTV when it featured them giving Santa Claus a makeover, where they substituted his traditional red suit for a casual shirt and trousers.[17]
- In 2006, on Gordon Ramsay's The F-Word, Gordon named his two pigs "Trinny and Susannah" after Woodall and Constantine.[18]
[edit] Criticism
- The pair were involved in a feud with Carol Vorderman 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.[19]
- Together, Woodall and Constantine were ranked number 48 in the Channel 4 poll of 100 Worst Britons.[20]
[edit] Bibliography
| Year | Title of book |
|---|---|
| 2000 | Ready 2 Dress: How to Have Style Without Following Fashion |
| 2002 | What Not to Wear |
| 2003 | What Not to Wear 2: For Every Occasion |
| 2003 | Trinny and Susannah - The Rules |
| 2004 | What Not to Wear: The Rules |
| 2004 | What Not to Wear: For Every Ocassion |
| 2004 | What You Wear Can Change Your Life |
| 2005 | What Your Clothes Say About You |
| 2006 | Trinny and Susannah: The Survival Guide |
| 2006 | Trinny & Susannah Take on America: What Your Clothes Say about You |
| 2007 | Trinny and Susannah Undressed: Everything You Need to Know for a Lifetime of Dressing ... and More |
[edit] References
- ^ Acne, alcohol … and non-stop sex — dailymail.co.uk
- ^ Just a couple of swells — observer.guardian.co.uk
- ^ Royal Television Society — rts.org.uk
- ^ BBC One honours the best TV moments from 2002 — BBC Press Office
- ^ The Royal Wedding; Charles and Camilla — BBC Press Office
- ^ Parky was a 'nut', says Meg Ryan — scotsman.com
- ^ Trinny and Susannah on The Opray Winfrey Show - What Not to Wear this summer — oprah.com
- ^ Littlewoods signs up Trinny and Susannah — timesonline.co.uk
- ^ Children In Need 2004 — BBC Press Office
- ^ Trinny and Susannah Undress — itv.com
- ^ The makeover millionaires — timesonline.co.uk
- ^ British Book Awards — britishbookawards.co.uk
- ^ Parkinson — parkinson.tangozebra.com
- ^ Meg Ryan talks to Parkinson BBC Press Office
- ^ No, seriously . . . does my cheque look big in this? — telegraph.co.uk
- ^ Trinny and Sue — thesun.co.uk
- ^ What to wear if you want to make a big impression — mirror.co.uk
- ^ The Kumars at No 42 returns to BBC ONE — BBC Press Office
- ^ Carol Vorderman launches fashion attack — BBC news
- ^ 100 Worst Brittons — channel4.com
