Best Wardrobes in Britain: Angela Scanlon

Most people would baulk at the idea of a whole crew of people rocking up with a camera, mic and multiple lights to their sacred space of home. 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, and 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 FROW of fashion weeks.

Angela's first foray into the spotlight stemmed from her work as a stylist, which led to her working in 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 view 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 highstreet buys and vintage gems. 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!

Taking it back to your early years, you grew up in County Meath, Ireland. How did growing up there 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 is your earliest fashion memory?

I remember for my Holy Communion when I was about eight, 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.

Angela wears a jacket from The Frankie Shop, an Ashish dress and Michael Kors boots.

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

I think it's probably not wildly dissimilar. I kind of swing between super comfortable, like a trackies and a great jumper and a shirt tied around my waist and a jacket - like jackets are a problem. 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

Angela wears a Farm Rio denim shirt and jeans, plus a Burberry shirt.

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 it turns out for going out but I also like that 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 usually undone. I'm a big fan of a wet look, that looks literally like you've just gotten 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 kind of icons that I looked 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.

Angela wears a Farm Rio denim shirt and jeans, a Burberry shirt and heels from Public Desire.

Indulge us: What is one fashion faux pas 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.

Angela wears an array of bucket hats from her collection.

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 monkeys - 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 going, do you know what? It's hopefully given them the impetus to think, fuck it, just wear it.

Angela wears a Sandro jacket, Aje dress and Giuseppe Zanotti heels, plus a necklace from her Frkl. line.

Who is on your list of all-time style icons? Are there any women, past or present, who you would like to raid the wardrobe of?

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, 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.

Angela wears a Sandro jacket, Aje dress and Giuseppe Zanotti heels, plus a necklace from her frkl jewellery collection.

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 realized 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 of what live 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.

Angela wears a coat from Dries Van Noten, a vintage sports jacket and a necklace from her frkl jewellery collection.

What one outfit can you rely on and 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 it 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 is 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.

Angela wears a coat from Dries Van Noten, a vintage sports jacket, a skirt from John Rocha, Crocs x Simone Rocha shoes, plus a necklace from her frkl jewellery collection.

Who have been 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, who I work alongside in co-hosting our podcast Get a Grip. I absolutely adore her and I have learned to not 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 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, items or tools do you swear by for your everyday glam routine?

I love a good skincare moment and the one item 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 scent or perfume that you always reach for? Or do you have a perfume wardrobe?

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

Angela wears an Daughter cardigan, Kindred shorts, plus a necklace from her frkl jewellery collection.

You are 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 mean I'm definitely in jeans. I'm in an &Daughter jumper, probably, or a cardigan. They have these little round-necked 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 bougie coat. I've got a Jil Sander like silk bomber jacket that I bought from Bicester that I absolutely love, and it kind of elevates a very off-duty look or Queens of Archive have the most amazing coat that 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. Or they might know if your legs are peeping out, but that, a pair of Blundstone boots or a pair of trainers or a loafer. I'm quite into a loafer and 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.

Angela wears an Daughter cardigan, Kindred shorts, plus a necklace from her frkl jewellery collection.

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 are coveting? What is next on your autumn wishlist?

I really want a new a 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 to not 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.

Scenes from Angela's home.

What mottos, life advice or sentiments are you keen to share with or instill 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 Angela?

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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