Claudia Winkleman is 'still haunted' by daughter's terrifying Halloween accident
Claudia Winkleman has confessed that she still has nightmares about her daughter Matilda’s terrifying Halloween accident from three years ago.
Matilda, who was eight at the time, was left with severe burns to her body after her Halloween costume caught fire whilst the family were out trick-or-treating.
![Claudia has spoken out to warn parents to be careful. Copyright: [Rex]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/DID6Qin3YAd0qmorFzO0VQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/homerun/feed_manager_auto_publish_494/db9a52073962d785c69d3172efd111ea)
Claudia took several weeks off from her presenting job on Strictly Come Dancing so that she could be by her daughter’s side, and the star has now revealed that she can still hear Matilda’s screams.
Speaking to Best magazine, the 45-year-old host said: “I don’t like Halloween because three years ago it turned out our screams were real.
“She ‘went up’ is the only way I can describe it – it was a spark, and she screamed out for me.
“It was like those horrific birthday candles that you blow out and they come back. It was really fast. It was definitely life-changing for me.
![Claudia previously opened up on Watchdog. Copyright: [BBC]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/hwWxaImL5.SZ667L5QqZDQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTUxOQ--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/homerun/feed_manager_auto_publish_494/e36dcd54d16a775b9c6c2b278d8e7111)
“I was talking to somebody and then I heard her shout and she was on fire. It feels like she was on fire for hours, but the surgeon said it was probably just seconds.”
Shortly after her daughter’s recovery, Claudia bravely appeared on Watchdog to warn parents about the highly flammable Halloween costumes that are on sale.
Fighting back tears in the emotional interview, Claudia said at the time: “We couldn’t put her out. Her tights had melted into her skin.
“Like if your shirt caught fire or anything I could put it out. It was the tights that… They came back to life.”
![Watchdog recreated the blaze. Copyright: [BBC]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/aKETCa7e84lpi8w3ROqKOw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MQ--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/homerun/feed_manager_auto_publish_494/bf4e5daf92209a797d3bbdb491d19978)
Claudia added that Matilda had endured many operations following the accident as she had suffered a “large amount of third degree burns”, however, she poignantly dubbed her daughter’s ordeal as: “Life-changing, not life-defining” although she admitted that the accident made her an “anxious” parent.
The star added that she didn’t want “another eight year old to go through what Tilda went through”, with Claudia going on to issue a warning to parents every Halloween since the accident occurred.
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