See Iconic Model Twiggy Now at 72
She went from modeling and acting to hosting and designing.
In the 1960s, Twiggy (real name: Lesley Lawson née Hornby) quickly became one of the top models working and one of the most recognizable faces of the decade. And today, Twiggy is still one of the most famous models in history, even though her actual modeling career only lasted a few years. After making it big in fashion, she became a singer and actor, releasing several albums, winning two Golden Globe awards for her role in 1971's The Boy Friend, and receiving a Tony nomination for My One and Only in 1983.
But Twiggy's career doesn't stop there. In recent years, she has remained in the public eye and taken on new endeavors, including hosting and designing. Read on to learn more about the 72-year-old's life today.
RELATED: See Laugh-In Star Jo Anne Worley Now at 84.
She became a dame.
In 2019, Twiggy became Dame Twiggy. She was named a Dame Commander by Prince Charles for services to fashion, the arts, and charity, as reported by People.
"I've met him before," Twiggy said of Prince Charles, according to ITV. "He's really nice and he said, 'Congratulations, about time you got this, we're all thrilled for you.'" She added, "Officially it's Dame Lesley but call me Dame Twiggy. I think Dame Twiggy sounds best."
She was a reality TV judge.
From 2005 to 2007, Twiggy was a judge for five seasons of America's Next Top Model. She appeared alongside fellow model Tyra Banks, runway coach J. Alexander, and photographer Nigel Barker. More recently, she appeared as a judge on a 2019 episode of RuPaul's Drag Race UK.
For more celebrity news delivered right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
She started her own podcast.
In 2020, Twiggy started her own podcast, Tea with Twiggy. "When we decided to do it, I said I want it to be like people going out for a chat for tea, or just getting together and having a chat," she said during a 2020 interview with Good Morning Britain. "They're not really interviews, so amazing things come out because people start telling stories." Twiggy's guests have included Emma Thompson, Molly Ringwald, Brooke Shields, Rufus Wainwright, and Sarah, Duchess of York.
She'd like to put out another album.
Twiggy released her most recent album, Romantically Yours in 2011, and she'd like to put out another sometime soon. "I'd love to do another album," she told Express in 2018. "[T]he process of being in a studio with musicians and getting tracks down is so wonderful. My daughter has a beautiful voice and we had always wanted to do a song together, so she joined me to record one."
She's collaborated on design projects.
Twiggy had a clothing line with British department store Marks & Spencer for several years. More recently, she also worked on designing a line of eyeglasses with Specsavers. "I'm not equipped to design glasses by myself, so I work with an amazing guy," she told Express. "He brings the new technology and I'll come with colors and shapes I like."
Of her career in recent years, she told Express, "I pick and choose what I do now and don't really say 'yes' to things unless I feel passionate about them, which at this time of life is very important. I think I deserve that at my age."
Her family is very important to her.
In her interviews, Twiggy makes it clear how important her family is to her, including her husband, Leigh Lawson, her daughter, Carly, her stepson, Jason, and her grandchildren. Twiggy married Lawson in 1988, after being married to her first husband, Michael Witney, from 1977 until his death in 1983; although they were already separated by that time. "It was tough, but somehow you get through. You can't live a life and not have ups and downs, can you?" she told Good Housekeeping U.K. in 2021.
"My number one is family. It always has been, even when Carly was little. If it didn't work for Carly, I didn't do it," Twiggy told Express. She added of her grandchildren, "I'm number one babysitter—and very happy to be. They are small for so little time and if you miss that, it'd be terrible."
