10 Years Younger's Nicky Hambleton-Jones felt like a failure' after brutal axe
Stylist Nicky Hambleton-Jones opens up on the emotional aftermath of being axed from her iconic role on 10 Years Younger, finally feeling like herself again - and her big return to TV
Stylist Nicky Hambleton-Jones is back to doing what she loves best – sharing her passion for all things fashion and transforming the way people look and feel about themselves. As well as returning to our TV screens on This Morning 's Drop A Decade, she has a new book out, Bolder Not Older, designed to help people be more adventurous with their style choices regardless of their age and body shape.
When OK! catches up exclusively with Nicky, the fashion guru certainly doesn't disappoint in a gorgeous dress, signature red lipstick and heels. 'It's impossible to have a bad day in a bright outfit,' she grins. But there was a darker period in Nicky's life. The 54-year-old – who shares son Ben, 15, and daughter Georgina, 12, with husband Rob Green – was famously dropped from makeover show 10 Years Younger after five years of hosting it, and replaced by Myleene Klass. 'I lived in a spiral of fear of being seen as a loser,' Nicky says, and it's clear the experience hit her hard.
The thing that propelled her forward, she tells us, is not wanting being cut from the show to be the end of her story, so she knew she had to put herself back out there. Here, the South African star tells us how it feels being back in the spotlight after 17 years and why she's embracing this exciting new stage of her life…
Nicky, how did you get your mojo back after being dropped by 10 Years Younger?
When that happened, it was a shock. Everything evaporated overnight and I felt like such a failure. When you have a life shock that affects you personally, it's so difficult when you're in the public eye. I fixated on people seeing me as a loser. It took a lot of time to reprogramme that and it doesn't happen overnight. But the way I do it is by getting up every day, putting on my lipstick and dressing for the person I want to be.
How did you feel on your first day on the This Morning set? I was terrified. I didn't sleep the night before and I was shaking the whole way through it. 10 Years Younger was a brilliant but controversial show and the trolling off the back of that was awful. I was like, 'If I go back on TV I'm opening myself up to all that negativity again.' But the other option was to do nothing, so I told myself to just do it.
A funny thing is, when I did the series in January, I bumped into Myleene Klass in the corridor and I was like, 'Uh oh.' But I thought, 'I'm just going to own this,' so I said hello and we had a little chat. But I love doing Drop A Decade – it's wonderful helping people feel better about themselves. 10 Years Younger could be quite brutal, but this is uplifting and positive.
On 10 Years Younger, people had everything from facelifts to Botox. Have you had any work done? Before Covid I had some fillers around the cheek area, but I noticed they showed through my skin and looked a bit lumpy, so I Ieft that. Then a year ago I tried a bit of Botox and that was amazing, but you have to go to the right person. My big thing is, I don't want to look 'done'. I don't want to look younger, I just want to look good for my age, so I like things that improve the quality of your skin, like radio frequency treatments.
Do you think society tries to dictate how we should dress at certain stages in life? People say you become invisible at a certain age, but I say it's you who've stopped making yourself feel visible. You've decided you can't wear bright colours any more or that it's not appropriate to wear anything too clingy. It's the fear of judgement, so you dull down your choices. But you can't let that hold you back. Buy pieces that make your heart leap. The real secret to having great style at any age is to develop a signature look that works for you. That transcends any trends, because it's what you feel good in and it's true to you.
How have you embraced being in your fifties? People dread the big 5-0, then you realise the world doesn't freeze over. You still look the same, you still feel the same. But you do realise life is short, so if there's something you want to do you've just got to get on with it. My mum has advanced dementia, which gives me that sense of urgency. There's nothing I won't do any more. Before I'd be too scared, but now I'm like, 'Let's go river rafting, let's go climb a mountain.' I'm having more adventures than I've ever had.
You've been married for nearly 20 years. What's your secret? It's impossible not to have ups and downs but when you've got that commitment, you know that every stressful moment is just a blip in the road and you come through it. If you can still have a laugh together, then you know you're OK.
You have two kids. What sort of mum are you? I'm not suffocating, but I won't tolerate rudeness, laziness or untidiness, and you have to get outside every day. It's so hard being a parent, because you think you're going to be amazing and then you realise they're not interested because they just see you as Mum.
My thing is to be a role model – to exercise regularly and work hard. They've seen me struggle with a career implosion, then build myself up again. I think that's a really important lesson for them. Life isn't sugar-coated, it's a roller-coaster. But it doesn't matter how far you fall, it's all about coming back.
What big ambitions are still on your list? I want to win a Bafta – that's my big goal in life. I've got no idea how, but you've got to have a really big dream, because even if you don't get there, just having it propels you further than you ever would have got before. I'd also love to do a bold clothing range that's sexy, sassy and colourful, and I want to travel. For me, the perfect life is a well-rounded life.
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