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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Jonathon Manning

Claudia Winkleman left speechless after birthday message from secret celeb caller

Claudia Winkleman had the "best birthday of [her] life" after she received a call from a famous celebrity. The TV and radio presenter was in the middle of her Radio 2 show when a caller named Helen rang into the show.

Producers at the BBC had warned her she might get a "surprise" from the call. But it soon turned out the caller wasn't Helen at all.

Instead it was Oasis star Noel Gallagher, who said: "Er, this is not Helen. This is Noel Gallagher. Well, it was this morning - and I believe it's your birthday.

Claudia was tough to win around admitting she didn't believe it really was the musician, adding "maybe it's just Helen, who's feeling a little gruff and hasn't had some medication" But she double-checked, asking: "Is that proper Noel?"

The rock star replied: "It is I, the real Noel Gallagher, yes." He added that Claudia was brave to admit she was 51.

Claudia seemed a little overwhelmed by the call and almost seemed like she was going to end the conversation early. But then her colleagues at the Radio 2 studio entered the studio with a gift, sparking the radio presenter to ask if he had sent her a card.

"I did send you a card," he said. "That's the type of guy I am."

A gushing Claudia then revealed that Oasis was her favourite band. "You know your band's my favourite band, I play it all the time," she said. "Last year we played 18 Oasis songs and the (High Flying) Birds and they were like, 'Claudes, sometimes you've got to move on' and I said, 'I can't'."

Noel then quipped: "There's no point moving on now at 51."

However, Claudia indicated she is embracing getting older, and said she can't wait to reach 68 and move to Eastbourne. She didn't mind the jokes from Noel and said his call - made during her show on January 14 - had made it "her best birthday of [her] life".

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