Quite: The Top 10 Sunday Times bestseller, hilarious stories and heartfelt advice from the much-loved Strictly Come Dancing co-host

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There were sections where I totally agreed with her. Especially the topics of ankle books (I’ve lost count of the number of pairs that I own and have since being a teen), to her take on famous people, I don’t buy into all this celebrity stuff I just see people doing their jobs, whether that be a musician, actor, or presenter (sorry). But I do feel for those that have no control over their lives once they become famous. Claudia Winkleman is a proud mum-of-three but likes to keep her personal life out of the spotlight. I have been a fan of Claudia's for a long time, and her humour really comes through with this book. I love the fact the audiobook is narrated by Winkleman herself too. Claudia has previously presented four series of The Great British Sewing Bee and was the host of BBC Film. Claudia is also a trustee of Comic Relief and has fronted the live television shows for both Red Nose Day and Sport Relief, along with spin-off shows including Let’s Dance for Comic Relief/ Sport Relief and the Comic Relief Danceathon. Describing herself in the opening sentence as “a short, orange woman who occasionally reads out loud on the telly”, Claudia Winkleman seems unable to quite believe her own success. But this book will further it, though its title does her a disservice. It’s much more than “quite” good. To borrow a favourite Winkleman word, it is excellent.

Claudia Winkleman’s warmth, humour, no-holds-barred attitude and smoky eye have made her the favourite broadcaster of millions and a much-loved household name. However, when she revealed her plans to become an author to her children their response wasn’t quite so supportive. They hold your hand when your child is going in for an operation, they hold your hand when the surgeon says there's bad news, they hold your hand when the doctor says the medication isn't working."Thrown into the mix is a chapter on “Squirrel Etiquette”, insisted upon by her eight-year old son. (FYI, you should never throw a nut at a squirrel; just leave it close by so the furry little creature can see it.) This is an author who shows that, if your writing is sharp enough and witty enough, you can get away with ignoring the normal literary rules on structure and even subject matter.

Within these six sections are different topics that Claudia felt passionate enough to write about (plus a section on squirrels her son made her add 🙂 ). You might not agree with everything Claudia has to say about life, you might think that some of the things that she talks about are definitely not the way you see things or run your life and that is okay. She is not preaching at you, telling you to change your life, she is merely telling you her thoughts on the subjects. With so many opinions, it would be difficult to agree with them all, and it would be unreasonable to expect to. Most are innocuous but some are simply offensive - e.g. "an over-enthusiastic user of [the exclamation mark] is physically repellent. You don't want to go out with someone who uses emojis either." Sure, this is likely exaggerated for comic effect, but it is pretty extreme (and out-of-touch with common linguistic practice). Another part says that liking spicy food is an indication of "bad taste" - she goes on to say you shouldn't care, but it is an example of where this book is relatable mainly to the white middle class. Absolutely hilarious, light hearted and easy going. Exactly the kind of book needed this year. It’s not pretentious, it’s down to Earth and totally relatable. However I’m not quite prepared to agree with Claudia on only needing to own one blazer. Matilda had to undergo a series of operations on her leg after her supermarket witch costume caught fire from a candle.

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Claudia Winkleman is one of the best known broadcasters in the UK, she won the RTS Award for Best Presenter in 2015, the WFTV award for Best Presenter in 2019 and has been BAFTA-nominated. Claudia currently co-hosts Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1) alongside Tess Daly and also has a Sunday night show on BBC Radio 2. Claudia also fronts the BBC1 cookery competition series Britain’s Best Home Cook alongside Mary Berry, which first aired in 2018 and will return to television screens again next year. She also regularly appears as a guest on panel shows including QI, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Big Fat Quiz of the Year and Would I Lie To You. She wrote: "There have been moments in my life, the most terrifying, the most confusing, the most discombobulating – that have led me to believe that the greatest people who walk the earth are nurses. Whispering Stories was established in 2015. The blog is here to share our love of books and the bookish world, alongside our other passions in life. We are based in the UK. Claudia Winkleman's warmth, humour, no-holds-barred attitude and smoky eye have made her the favourite broadcaster of millions and a much-loved household name.