Best Wardrobes in Britain: Angela Scanlon

Most people would baulk at the idea of a whole crew of people rocking up to their home with a camera, mic and multiple lights. Not Angela Scanlon. The Irish broadcaster, author and podcaster, known for hosting shows on the BBC and RTÉ, as well as her weekend breakfast show on Virgin Radio, is charmingly open, friendly and welcoming, not to mention well-versed in photoshoots and being camera-ready. On a hazy October day, we were greeted warmly upon entering her family abode in North London, and met with the familiar smile, character and face we know so well from primetime TV, her Instagram (give her a follow!) and her presence on the front row of fashion shows.

Angela's first foray into the spotlight stemmed from her work as a stylist, which led to the world of TV and broadcasting. Her first major documentary Oi Ginger! aired on RTE in 2014 to critical acclaim. This led to a follow-up series, Angela Scanlon: Full Frontal, which tackled taboo subjects such as extreme makeovers, fitness and nudity. Since beginning her work with the BBC, Angela has hosted The One Show, cult classic Robot Wars, BBC Two’s hit interior design show Your Home Made Perfect, as well as coverage of T in the Park festival and the BAFTAs.

Angela has her own Saturday night chat show on RTÉ One, titled Ask Me Anything, and, in 2023, she took part in the BBC hit show Strictly Come Dancing. In 2022, Angela published her debut book, Joyrider, to rave reviews. Part memoir, part self-help guide, Joyrider sees Angela chart her own journey into the world of self-development. With no desire to slow down, 2025 has seen Angela take up more spots on the radio and TV, as well as launching the very viral (and very funny) podcast Get A Grip, alongside co-host Vicky Pattison.

Angela is well known for her eclectic personal style, as well as her jewellery line FRKL., so we took a snoop around her kaleidoscopic wardrobe, full of IYKYK pieces, luxury handbags, cult high-street buys and vintage gems. During our interview, she modelled some of her most treasured pieces and chatted about her journey into fashion, TV and radio. Read on for our exclusive conversation and Angela's shopping picks.

Thank you for having us, Angela!

You grew up in County Meath, Ireland. How did that influence your personal style?

Yes, I grew up in County Meath, which is just outside of Dublin, but I was very much a country kid. I’m one of four girls, and I think I probably used fashion from a really early age to kind of stand out. I don't know that I did that effectively, but I was definitely interested in what I was wearing and how I would kind of put outfits together to… really, to get attention. But I'd wear things relentlessly. I'd become quite fixated on specific things. I remember a pair of Levi jeans I had when I was 11 or 12 that I cut on the inside leg so they flared out over my trainers, and an Umbro Sports top that I inherited from my older sister that I thought was the coolest thing that had ever existed in my life. So I was definitely into fashion and style from an early age.

What's your earliest fashion memory?

I remember for my Holy Communion when I was about 8, I inherited a dress from my older sister, and I really wanted my own dress, but it was not happening—you literally wear it for one day. We were recycling this dress, and I agreed, as if I had any choice to wear said dress, if I could "style" it in my own way. So I took this dress and I got a hoop underneath it so it sat out like a real puffy kind of skirt, rather than just like a straight skirt.

And I got like a flower crown and I got this beautiful—I wish I still had it—little silk kind of pouch bag with an elasticated handle on it and kind of pearl detailing. And I just remember feeling so cool. And then to top it off, I did like a polka dot white tight with black patent shoes, those old school princess shoes with the little key in it, which was very, very unusual and in my mind, it was my moment to show that I was like, had big ideas about myself. And so, yes, I wore black shoes for my communion.

How would you describe your personal style today, and how has it changed since you were younger?

I think it's probably not wildly dissimilar. I kind of swing between super comfortable, like trackies, a great jumper and a shirt tied around my waist with a jacket. So that's on the kind of day-to-day. I quite like a tomboy, like slightly androgynous, very effortless looking, like stuff that I wear over and over again. I think that has not changed. Or then if I'm out, I'm out. I really quite like getting inappropriately overdressed for things. So it's either full-on off-duty hobo or it's like a serious glam but like with a twist, it's almost like slightly drag. I like for things to be kind of you know, like over the top. I love an over-the-top kind of moment.

If we looked through your wardrobe on any day, what could we expect to find?

I think it’s clear from the pictures, but quite a bit of colour. I would say a lot of denim. Denim is the foundational piece in my wardrobe, so lots of denim. I like a frou-frou skirt for going out, but I also like it with a jumper. So I very much like that high-low kind of mix of super over the top and very underdressed or very ladylike, very girly, you know, saccharine sweet with something much tougher and rougher, kind of boyish stuff.

How does hair and beauty play into how you choose to experiment with your look now?

I don't actually experiment that much. I mean, I’m like a skincare nut but tend to be relatively classic when it comes to makeup. So I would say I play it quite low-fi. I love a big brow. I love great skin and kind of will play with a lip on occasion. Hair, I like to look undone usually. I'm a big fan of a wet look, which looks literally like you've just got out of the shower and ploughed on. That, to me, is, like, so sexy, understated, Parisian, but like super glam. And I think I did have those kinds of icons that I looked up to that just looked like they had made no effort at all, but were so cool. Comfortable, I think. And that's not a sexy word when we talk about fashion often, but like to be comfortable in your own skin and with what you're wearing and in your choices and really feel like yourself, I suppose.

Indulge us: what one fashion faux pas do you regret?

Oh, God. I wore this outfit to the Glamour Awards years and years ago. It was by a gorgeous independent London designer called Solace London and was a great piece, but the colour was not for me! It was a salmon-pink look with flared trousers and a tunic top. But, I mean, I'm kind of salmon-coloured myself, so it really did not work for me. I looked like a condom, frankly.

What are your all-time favourite fashion brands? And do you have some new brands on your radar that you just can’t gatekeep?

I love, love, love Simone Rocha. I like Toteme, I like J.W. Anderson and Stella McCartney.

You have a series on Instagram titled Things I Love That My Husband Hates. What inspired you to kick this off?

Honestly, it started with interiors, and I was like, here are a few random things in my house that my husband really doesn't like, but I'm definitely not throwing away, and then we moved to doing it with fashion, and it just kind of hit a chord. I grew up in the late-'90s, early noughties, when women were absolutely supposed to look a very particular way, very much about dressing for the male gaze. It was low-slung jeans. It was midriffs, it was boobs. It was all of those things. And so I think this is my retaliation against that, and I kind of sense that actually I'm dressing for the girls and for the gays and really, I am dressing for myself ultimately.

And so things that I like, I kind of don't really mind if you like or don't like, you know. In reality, my husband couldn't give a monkey's—he's well used to seeing all of the weird and wonderful things that I wear, but I definitely think it's kind of tapped into something in people who are hopefully going, do you know what? It's given them the impetus to think, fuck it, just wear it.

Who's on your list of all-time style icons? Are there any women, past or present, whose wardrobe you'd like to raid?

I would say, although this feels a bit clichéd, I love an Olsen twin. Mary-Kate, probably most specifically. I just have always kind of loved her individuality, really. And I think she just puts together an outfit like nobody else. And again, to that point, it looks like she just rolled literally out of bed, and whatever was on the floor stuck to her in the most perfect configuration. So yeah, she's the one.

You’re a woman who wears many hats: a brand founder, a broadcaster, an author and a podcaster. How does what you wear change for each of these roles?

I think, again, it comes back to that kind of comfort, and different things will be comfortable for different roles. I guess when I'm doing TV, I can flex that muscle and kind of indulge myself a bit in the slightly more OTT things. And I really do that, like I did a chat show in Ireland, and I really played a lot with my wardrobe in that sense, and I think that's something that I very much enjoy.

For our podcast Get A Grip, it kind of flits. I'm either in a pair of jeans and an old vintage T-shirt (again, I'm comfortable). We're sitting on a couch for a couple of hours, so I don't want to be pulling at clothes that make me think about what I'm wearing rather than what I'm saying. So comfort is absolutely key. And then when I'm working on FRKL, you know, if we're shooting, I'll throw some clothes on, but ordinarily I often work from my bed or the kitchen table following the school run. So I come home and get on with it. So there are definitely different gears. And sometimes I arrive at the school gates on my way to a meeting and, you know, it's a different version for sure.

When did you realise what you wanted to do in your career, and was it an easy decision?

I studied business at university, and then I wanted to set up a boutique and a brand, and then I worked in that space. I worked as a stylist. I worked as a personal shopper, which I absolutely loved, and realised that actually it was the people as much as the clothes that I loved dealing with day to day. And then from that got into tele doing, you know, very much fashion TV. And once I did that, I thought, Oh, this is what I love. I love live television. I love the kind of pressure and excitement that live TV offers.

It makes me feel both terrified and exhilarated at once, and there aren't many things—bar a skydive—that can do that. And that's impractical a few times a week! So once I had kind of started to do TV, I really felt like I had found what I was supposed to be doing. So yes, it was an easy decision in that sense, but I had to continue balancing my work with styling to actually pay my rent and then trying to build up my TV side of things. So it was certainly not quick, but it was an easy decision.

What one outfit can you rely on to know you'll feel the most confident and beautiful in?

We actually shot this piece, but I would say the John Rocha petal organza skirt, which again is a bit OTT, but I sometimes wear it with jeans underneath and a great T-shirt or a jumper and a big pair of boots. So I kind of have worn it for my wedding, but also for a million other things.

What's your proudest "pinch me" moment?

Oh, God. There've been so many, really. I would say maybe getting my own radio show. So I took over from Graham Norton's slot on Virgin Radio, and I do that every Saturday morning, and I absolutely love it. I love the intimacy of radio, and I love, again, that it's live. So yeah, to just kind of sit in that slot and have my own kind of thing felt really, really special.

Who are some of your favourite women in the industry to work with, and what did you learn from them?

Oh my God, so many. Some of them I haven't worked with, but obviously Vicky [Pattison], whom I work alongside in co-hosting our podcast Get A Grip. I absolutely adore her, and I have learned not to be so afraid, I suppose, of showing myself and not always "performing". That has definitely been a lesson, and we have so much craic.

I worked on the radio a bit, and my path would cross with Zoe Ball a lot, and I absolutely love her. I think she's just brilliant. And obviously, when I did Strictly with Claudia and Tess. I’m just really inspired by these women who are managing incredible careers alongside family life and attempting that elusive balance and making it look somewhat effortless, even though it's anything but. So I guess I really admire people, women who are tenacious and determined and who are kind of fearless. That's what I'm drawn to in humans generally.

What does a typical day look like for you? Take me from the top.

There’s honestly no typical day—every day is different!

What beauty brands, products or tools do you swear by for your everyday routine?

I love a good skincare moment, and the one product I swear by is La Roche Posay’s Cicaplast Baume B5+, which I’ll keep on me at all times.

Do you have a favourite perfume that you always reach for, or do you have a perfume wardrobe?

I love The Nue Co. Pheremone fragrance. Again, it’s not too sweet or powdery, but more musky, so it feels quite unisex.

You're spending a weekend away from the cameras, relaxing with your family. What clothing, shoes and accessories are you packing for your off-duty wardrobe?

I'm definitely in jeans and an &Daughter jumper, probably, or a cardigan. They have these little round-neck cardies, which are classic. I've got them in multiple colours: the camel, red and green ones. Or a Hades cardigan—I love their stuff too. And I’m currently loving a kind of boujee coat. I've got a Jil Sander silk bomber jacket that I bought from Bicester that I absolutely love, and it kind of elevates a very off-duty look.

Queens of Archive have the most amazing coat I've recently got that’s like a floor-length leopard coat, so you could literally be in your knickers underneath it and no one would know. That, a pair of Blundstone boots, a pair of trainers or a loafer. I'm quite into a loafer with a tracksuit bottom these days.

If you could wear one outfit for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

It would be jeans and a cashmere jumper. Or maybe it would be jeans and a white shirt, actually. No, it would be a cashmere jumper. Could I have both? Maybe jeans, the shirt and the cashmere jumper and then I can kind of swap, and I could create multiple different looks or vibes out of those three pieces that I wouldn't tire of.

Are there any pieces in your wardrobe that are particularly sentimental to you, and why?

Loads! I have lots of pieces which are sentimental, but it would have to be my John Rocha skirt, which I wore on my wedding day and lots of times since.

What are the next investment pieces you're coveting?

I really want a new handbag—something kind of luxe-y, and I don't know what that is, honestly, so if you have any suggestions, let me know!

What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever been given?

Keep going, keep going. Also, nobody's going to come. Nobody's going to come for you. They're not going to come and offer you the job or tell you how great you'd be at a certain thing, or what you should do. You have got to steer your own ship and find your own way. So I would just say that you've got this, and also not to be afraid of failure. I think perfectionism is a real issue, and it's basically just masking fear. So go out, fall flat on your face, make mistakes, fuck it up and go again. That is the only way to go.

What mottos, life advice or sentiments are you keen to instil in your two young daughters?

I just want them to feel fearless, actually, which is quite a big ask. Fearlessness, I think, can sometimes be seen as naivety and ignorance, but I actually think, you know, having a kind of sense of an appetite to do things, to try things, to explore things, to create things without the fear of how they might be perceived or whether they might fail is a real gift for a human.

What can we expect next from you?

I’m loving the things I’m doing right now, but there’s still so much more I want to do and explore, so watch this space!

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