Doing it in style

Presenter and stylist Nicky Hambleton-Jones talks to Jo Cantello about Battersea, Botox and the woman who changed her life

Above: Nicky Hambleton-Jones by Liam Duke

I’ll be honest. As I prepare to meet Nicky Hambleton-Jones, I probably spend as much time thinking about what I should wear as what we’ll talk about. True to form, I abandon plans to wear something bold, bright and expensive (my wardrobe appears to be out of stock) and revert to my comfort zone of new-ish skinny jeans, white blouse and flats. I contemplate a trip to the hairdressers, but can’t imagine rise will share my view that it’s a necessary business expense.

As I knock on the door of the Victorian terraced house in Battersea, I expect it to be opened by a vision of high fashion perfection in sky-high heels. What I’m not anticipating is a bare-footed, fresh-faced and hair-product-free Nicky Hambleton-Jones wearing a pretty, simple white cotton dress. Fortunately, it is cinched at the waist with a wide, beige belt and she is wearing her trademark specs, in baby pink, so I’m not completely thrown. There’s no reason of course why NHJ (to use her brand name) shouldn’t answer the door dressed like this. It’s just, I’m so used to seeing her as the über-groomed presenter of Channel 4’s 10 Years Younger. The expectation of how she should look off-duty is my error of judgement, not hers. She looks great.

It’s five years since Nicky first hit our screens, taking dowdy, world-weary women to task for letting themselves go. Personally, I’m amazed how they find the courage to embrace their cosmetic overhaul. "Generally, these are women who have lost their confidence to such an extent that they’ve just stopped caring for themselves. They feel relieved that they’re in good hands and somebody’s going to help them," she tells me. Her favourite part of the process comes months after the transformation, when they check on the contributors’ progress. "You develop this intense bond, so it’s nice to see the makeover has been a catalyst. When someone likes what they see and believes in themselves, they want to keep it up. Many go on to make big life changes, whether it’s getting out of a negative relationship or starting their own business." Would she ever go under the knife, I have to ask. "I’m pretty chilled about plastic surgery. I’ve never had anything done, but I constantly think about when should I start having some Botox, but what if I get a terrible bruise and I’ve got a media event the next day?" she laughs. "Everyone will know what I’ve been up to!" Over the years, she has however made a few major life changes of her own.

After completing a BSc in Dietetics back home in South Africa, she set up a practice in Cape Town, but quickly realised she felt unchallenged. Changing tack, she studied for an MBA, which led to a job at Andersen Consulting. "I absolutely hated it," she admits. "The whole mentality was ‘Do your time!’ but I wanted to go from zero to 100 in a year!"

Impatient for success, she packed her bags and moved to London, aged 26. She persevered with her career in the City, but became disillusioned after being made redundant three times in two years. "When I think back to it, I still feel sick," she says. In need of direction, she turned to Suzy Greaves, a life coach she met whilst contributing to a magazine article about women’s life dilemmas. Suzy helped her to acknowledge that her passion was actually fashion and gave her the confidence to set up Tramp2Vamp, a personal styling business offering wardrobe revamps and makeover solutions. "Suzy’s now one of my best friends," Nicky says. "She doesn’t coach me anymore, but she had such an impact on my life."

Whilst I imagined her wardrobe would be full of freebies, Nicky tells me she buys many of her own clothes locally. "There are great designers like Vivienne Westwood and there’s Question Air, Can I?, Whistles and Ghost. It’s becoming quite a nice shopping scene." Surprisingly, she admits to feeling intimidated if she’s the only customer in the shop. "I get so self-conscious. You’ll see them going, "Oh God, that’s that girl!"

I’m keen to find out what she thinks we should be buying this season. "Summer’s all about florals and yellow is definitely a colour to invest in, as well as corals and pinks," she says. "There’ll be lots of spots, stars and stripes and oversize clutch bags are a great accessory piece. There’s also the safari element." When it comes to perfecting her own look, she swears by her seamstress Philippa at the 401 And A Half workshop. "She does all my alterations. She’s just wonderful. A complete lifesaver."

Drawing on her styling expertise and personal experiences, Nicky’s recently launched her latest book, Top To Toe, a motivational guide on how to achieve your dreams, which she dedicates to Suzy. She’s also re-branding her business as NHJ Style Consultancy and launching a training academy for aspiring stylists. With so much going on, how does she find time to unwind? "I love eating out. My favourites are Lola Rojo on Northcote Road and Trinity and Mooli near Clapham Common, but sometimes I just love hiding out at home with my husband Rob."

She first met Rob, an engineer, in the Holy Drinker, after being set up on a blind date. They’ve been together five and a half years. "Did he need much styling?" I ask. "His style’s definitely evolved since we’ve been together," she smiles. "He loves shopping with me, but not because he needs me, but because he’s so indecisive."

The couple bought their Battersea top-floor flat two years ago, where it’s obvious Nicky’s styling skills come into play. The living room in which we’re sat is light and airy, tastefully decorated in muted tones, with soft furnishings sourced at The Paint House and artwork from Webb’s Fine Art. As one would expect, there’s a distinct lack of clutter. The couple are currently buying the flat below with the aim of converting the property back into one house. Are there plans for a family, I wonder? "We’re not planning imminently, but you have to think long term," she replies.

Now aged 37, does she ever wish, like me, that she was 10 years younger? "Sometimes yes, because I think, wouldn’t it be great to be where I am in my career, but still only be 27. On the other hand, I’ve definitely enjoyed my 30s more," she laughs, "and I look a hell of a lot better than I did in my 20s!"

10 Years Younger, C4, Tuesdays 8pm

‘Top To Toe’ by Nicky Hambleton-Jones is published by Hodder & Stoughton, £16.99