Claire Fellows is a British costume designer best known as the former wife of celebrity chef and television presenter Ainsley Harriott.
Her connection to Harriott’s long career in British television brought her into the public eye throughout the 1990s and 2000s.
Who is Claire Fellows?
Claire Fellows is a trained British costume designer whose public profile grew through her 23-year marriage to Ainsley Harriott, one of the UK’s most recognisable television personalities.
She kept a consistently private life throughout their time together, stepping back from the spotlight even as her husband became a household name on BBC shows such as Ready Steady Cook and Can’t Cook, Won’t Cook.
Her brother, Graham Fellows, is a well-known English comedian, actor, and musician, famous for his comedic character John Shuttleworth and the 1978 punk novelty single “Jilted John.”
Claire and Ainsley separated in November 2012 after more than two decades of marriage. Their split was reported to be amicable, with both parties remaining on good terms.
Early Life of Claire Fellows
Claire Fellows was born on July 5, 1961, in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England.
Growing up in Sheffield, she was raised alongside siblings who would each carve their own paths in the creative world.
Her brother Graham Fellows, born in 1959, went on to become one of Britain’s most original comedy talents through his character work and music career.
Some sources describe Claire as the youngest sister of Graham Fellows. Beyond her brother, the names of her other siblings have not been publicly confirmed.
Details about her parents are not publicly available.
Her upbringing in Sheffield, a city with a strong industrial and cultural identity in the north of England, formed the backdrop to her early life before she moved toward a career in the arts.
Claire Fellows Age / Birthday
Claire Fellows is 65 years old as of 2026, born on July 5, 1961.
Her zodiac sign is Cancer, a sign often associated with loyalty, sensitivity, and a strong attachment to home and family.
Those traits align well with the quiet, family-centred life she chose during her years of marriage.
Claire Fellows Ethnicity and Nationality
Claire Fellows is British by nationality, born and raised in England.
Her ethnic background is White British, in line with her Sheffield origins and her family’s roots in Yorkshire, England.
No additional public information about her heritage beyond her English background has been confirmed in available sources.
Claire Fellows Height and Weight
Claire Fellows stands at 5 feet 5 inches tall, which equals 165 centimetres or 1.65 metres.
Her weight is reported to be approximately 59 kilograms, equal to around 130 pounds.
She has been described as fair-complexioned with a trim build, and early media photographs show her as an elegant and well-dressed figure during her years alongside Ainsley Harriott.
Claire Fellows Career
Claire Fellows trained and worked as a costume designer by profession. Costume design is a specialist craft requiring both artistic vision and technical knowledge of fabrics, construction, and period styling.
Despite holding a professional qualification in the field, Claire maintained a deliberately low-profile career.
She did not pursue the kind of public-facing work that might have brought her independent name recognition.
Her profile in the media was almost entirely shaped by her relationship with Ainsley Harriott rather than by her own professional output.
This was a choice that appeared to reflect her preference for a private life.
Costume Design Background
Costume design is a skilled, competitive profession in the UK’s theatre, television, and film industries. Designers in this field work on everything from period drama wardrobe to contemporary television productions.
Claire studied and trained in costume design before her marriage. However, the specific productions or employers she worked with during her career have not been publicly reported or confirmed in available sources.
Her time as a professional costume designer overlapped with Ainsley’s growing television career through the 1990s and 2000s.
Life During Ainsley Harriott’s Rise to Fame
Ainsley Harriott became one of Britain’s most popular television chefs during the late 1990s. His BBC show Ready Steady Cook ran until 2010 and attracted millions of viewers.
During that period, Claire stepped away from any independent public presence to support family life and raise their two children in South London.
The couple lived together in a home in South London valued at approximately $1.4 to $1.5 million.
Ainsley’s public profile grew rapidly. He released multiple bestselling cookbooks and made a US television debut with The Ainsley Harriott Show in 2000.
Throughout those years, Claire remained largely out of the spotlight. The occasional media appearance alongside Ainsley represented the full extent of her public presence during the marriage.
Claire Fellows Former Partner
Claire Fellows was married to Ainsley Harriott from 1989 until their separation in 2012.
The two first met at a clothes shop in 1988. Ainsley reportedly fell for Claire at first sight, and the pair began dating shortly after that initial meeting.
They married in 1989, after approximately one year of dating. The marriage lasted 23 years.
In November 2012, the couple was reported to have separated. Their split was described as amicable, and both parties were said to remain on good terms following the end of the marriage.
Claire’s spokesperson confirmed at the time that there were no concrete plans about the future.
The reasons behind the separation attracted significant media attention.
Reports circulated about an alleged extramarital affair on Ainsley’s part, though Ainsley launched a legal effort to clear his name, and the identity of the woman involved was never publicly confirmed.
Other speculation focused on rumours about his sexuality, which Ainsley addressed in interviews, firmly stating that he is not gay and had been happily married with children.
Since the separation, Claire has remained entirely out of public life. No confirmed reports of a new partner or relationship exist as of 2026.
Claire Fellows Children
Claire Fellows and Ainsley Harriott have two children together: a son, Jimmy Harriott, born in 1992, and a daughter, Maddie Harriott, born in 1995.
Both children grew up in South London with their parents before the 2012 separation. Jimmy and Maddie have since grown into adults.
Maddie Harriott has made occasional public appearances alongside her father. In March 2020, she and Ainsley attended the TRIC Awards at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.
Jimmy Harriott is known to prefer a private life and has kept well away from media attention. Neither child has entered public life professionally, as of available reports.
Claire Fellows Net Worth
Claire Fellows’ estimated net worth is $100,000 as of 2026. Her income as a working costume designer was modest in terms of public profile, consistent with a career that she did not actively promote.
During her marriage to Ainsley Harriott, the couple shared a comfortable lifestyle supported by his substantial income from television work, cookbooks, and brand partnerships.
The family home in South London was valued at approximately $1.4 to $1.5 million.
Ainsley Harriott’s own estimated net worth is around $4 million, built through decades of BBC presenting, publishing sixteen cookbooks, running the Ainsley Harriott Food Company, and various commercial appearances.
The financial settlement details from their 2012 separation have not been made public.
Claire has not pursued any publicly documented business ventures or income streams since the separation. Her financial profile remains a private matter.
Conclusion
Claire Fellows built a quiet, family-centred life over more than two decades of marriage to one of Britain’s best-known television chefs, raising two children in South London while keeping her own professional ambitions largely out of public view.
Her story is one of private choices made alongside a very public partnership, and her connection to comedian Graham Fellows adds another layer of creative family heritage to her background.