Claudia Winkleman warned by doctor over health 'difficulty' amid concerning rise in cases

Claudia Winkleman could face more problems with her poor eyesight as she struggles to present shows like Strictly Come Dancing, a leading ophthalmic surgeon has told Express.co.uk on behalf of Casinos.win.

The presenter suffers from myopia, a common vision condition, in which near objects appear clear, but objects further away look blurry.

Claudia, 51, has undergone two operations to improve her eyesight and once admitted she was in "the wrong job" as she can't see the autocue without the help of contact lenses.

The condition has also caused her to walk into walls, not being able to drive or see herself properly and suffering from blurred vision.

According to Dr. Samer Hamada, myopia is on the rise particularly among younger generations due to "intense educational demands".

She added: "The increased exposure to screens in general where children and young adults spend more time on digital devices than ever before is also having an impact."

In Claudia's case, the doctor said that despite two surgeries, "there may be residual refractive error or other issues affecting her vision such as degenerative changes on the retina due to the high level of myopia".

"With such a high prescription, it is impossible to fully correct with laser surgery on the cornea. Implantable Collamer lenses which are add-on intraocular lens implants, are the only option to correct such a high magnitude of refractive error. Sometimes a combination of lens implant and laser vision correction is required for optimal visual outcomes.

"It is not uncommon that despite multiple surgeries, someone with very high myopia will still need glasses or contact lenses to see," she added, noting that surgery outcomes for severe myopia can vary.

Having high myopia, the doctor continued, "can present several challenges for a TV presenter or a show host like Claudia," which she has admitted in the past.

In 2021, Claudia told The Sun of her eye issue: "I can't even begin to tell you how blind I am. It's embarrassing. I can't read the autocue.

“My eyes have deteriorated so badly, I'm not meant to drive. I am doing the wrong job."

Speaking on the How To Fail podcast, she added: "I was born, I think with minus 15, so I've never really been able to see my face. It's all guesswork.

"I've had a couple of operations since then because I was just banging into walls. But now I wear lenses or glasses or whatever."

With such a high prescription, Dr Hamade adds that laser alone would not correct Claudia's vision, adding it "can still continue to exist with the risk of myopia-related diseases, such as retinal detachment, debilitating floaters, or myopic retinal degeneration".

"Any of these complications can have a significant impact on vision. In Claudia's case, these complications involve difficulty reading the teleprompters or interacting with contestants and judges, navigating complex TV sets known as Spatial Awareness on Set, including the increased risk of accidents," she continued.

A few simple steps to help you improve your eye sight are; using the right corrective lenses to avoid straining the eyes and unnecessary headaches, managing screen time, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and eating a good balanced diet, being active, using UV protective sunglasses and having regular eye checks.

Claudia has been presenting Strictly alongside Tess Daly since 2014, despite her condition.

As of last year, she began hosting BBC's The Traitors, which will be back on screens with a new series at a later date.

Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturday at 7.30pm on BBC One.