Trinny Woodall has opened up about the big life changes she made after her husband died.
The fashion entrepreneur and former What Not to Wear was married to businessman Johnny Elichaoff from 1999 until 2009, who died by suicide in 2014, aged 55. Woodall and Elichaoff welcomed their only child, Lyla, in 2003, who was 11 years old when he died.
Woodall, who is the founder of the £180m beauty empire Trinny London, revealed the tragic passing of her former partner inspired her to take a huge financial risk to expand her company, despite wanting to be grounded for the sake of her daughter.
Speaking to Jamie Laing on the Great Company podcast, Woodall, who sold her expensive home to invest the money into her beauty start-up after Elichaoff’s passing 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.”
She continued: “’It was a time when maybe I should knuckle down and make things as safe as possible for Lyla. But I also knew that this was this crossroads in my life.”
Of Elichaoff’s death, Woodall added: “Death is terrible and final. 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,” she added of caring for her daughter and Elichaoff’s son, Zak.
Ahead of the 10 year anniversary of Elichaoff’s death this November, Woodall admitted she didn’t grieve her husband’s death for many years but blocked out her feelings and felt “a bit angry” at him because she missed him.
Woodall has previously spoken of her ex-husband’s death, telling The Jess Rowe Big Talk Show podcast in 2022: “When I was 50, Lyla’s father died under tragic circumstances. I had stopped doing TV. I didn’t have an income. I was living off the residue of a couple of books.”
“I remember I was at the funeral of my husband and afterwards I had people around to my house and I had some very good friends and they said, ‘Trinny, we know you want to start this idea but you need to be responsible for Lyla. Maybe you should get a job instead?’
“I said to them I can’t be 60 and wish I’d started it earlier. So they said, ‘Send us the business plan when you’re ready’, and they were one of the first investors.”
If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, the Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
