Overview
- Matilda, then eight, brushed a candle at a neighbour’s house and her supermarket witch outfit ignited, causing multiple serious burns and leading to several operations.
- Winkleman has described the injuries as “life-changing but not life-defining” and has urged parents to consider the flammability of children’s costumes.
- She missed part of the 2014 Strictly Come Dancing series during her daughter’s treatment, and she and co-host Tess Daly have said they will leave the show at the end of the current season.
- Recent coverage notes inconsistent reporting on the year of the accident, with some outlets citing 2014 and others 2015.
- After the incident, UK costume flammability standards were tightened, and some reports credit Winkleman’s public campaigning with influencing voluntary guidance.