Trinny Woodall discusses how the tragic death of her late husband, Johnny Elichaoff, strengthened her resolve for her daughter and fueled her success in the beauty industry.
Bollywood Fever: Trinny Woodall has opened up about the death of her late husband, Johnny Elichaoff, and admitted his tragic passing ‘made her stronger’ for their daughter Lyla. The businessman, who was married to Trinny from 1999 until 2009, committed suicide in 2014.
Impact of Tragedy
In an interview on the Great Company podcast with Jamie Laing, Trinny shared how the tragedy fueled her determination to succeed with her beauty firm. “Death is terrible and final,” she said. “But suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. It’s like that tsunami that comes and it kind of pulls the guts out of you. But, also, I have got inner strength. I needed to be the one who would look after everyone.”
Overcoming Loss
Reflecting on the challenging times, Trinny said, “When you are faced with the worst thing you think could happen, there was this feeling I had of ‘Nothing worse can happen now.’ So I should take the greatest risk.” Besides Lyla, Trinny is also a stepmother to Johnny’s son, Zak, and admitted, “Emotionally, I couldn’t have lost more than to lose my daughter’s father, for her.”
Building Her Empire
Trinny confessed that the tragedy made her stronger, though she didn’t grieve for many years due to dealing with the fallout. “I was a bit angry but shortly after missed him,” she admitted. Deciding to sell their house and invest the money in her start-up, Trinny turned it into a £180 million beauty empire within four years. “It was a time when maybe I should knuckle down and make things as safe as possible for Lyla,” she told Jamie Laing. “But I also knew that this was this crossroads in my life.”
Recent Changes
The interview comes after Trinny split from her partner Charles Saatchi, 81, last year after a decade together. Friends suggested their 20-year age gap caused issues in their relationship. Speaking to The Sun, friends of Trinny said she felt it was ‘time to move on’ and ‘their age difference started to become an issue.’
Moving Forward
On her Instagram, Trinny posted: “It’s a new day, it’s a new dawn, it’s a new life.’ She added: ‘I have been moving but now I have moved.” While on a skiing holiday in France with her family, she reflected emotionally: “I have looked out at this view for the last 30 years of my life. It’s the one consistent view I have ever had.”
Saatchi’s Perspective
Saatchi, an ad-man turned art collector, is said to be worth around £100 million. Trinny’s beauty and skincare brand is worth an estimated £180 million and rising. He declined to comment on the split.
Reflections on Their Relationship
In a 2021 interview, Trinny noted that she had ‘grown up a lot’ during her relationship with Saatchi. “I don’t let myself get away with stuff, so if I have a kind of outrage he’ll go: ‘Really, are you kidding?’ And then I’ll go upstairs and think: ‘OK, let me grow up now.'”
Trinny and Saatchi began dating in 2013 after Saatchi’s first wife, Kay Hartenstein, reportedly suggested potential partners. Saatchi had been single since splitting from food writer Nigella Lawson, following an incident where he was photographed holding her by the throat during a lunch at Scott’s in Mayfair. He explained at the time that it was a ‘playful tiff’ and accepted a police caution. He later clarified that he was helping Nigella ‘focus,’ but she explained the argument started when she expressed excitement about becoming a grandmother.
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