What Ever Happened To Stacy And Clinton From What Not To Wear?
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When What Not to Wear premiered on TLC in 2003, fashion victims everywhere couldn't hide from the show's opinionated hosts, celebrity stylists Stacy London and Clinton Kelly. London and Kelly were tasked with transforming the wardrobes of the fashionably-challenged, per the request of friends and family concerned for their loved one's hideous duds. The co-hosts ambushed contestants and challenged their clothing choices, and together, the trendy duo offered sage advice to help participants become the chicest versions of themselves.
Audiences fell in love with the playful rapport between the co-hosts, and couldn't look away from the engaging round-up of characters who stood in front of the show's 360-degree mirror for critical makeovers. But, as all good things do, What Not to Wear came to an end in 2013, after 10 memorable seasons. Although one of TLC's longest-running primetime shows ended its run, hosts London and Kelly didn't fall off the runway for good. Both have continued to have immense success — and some failures — within the lifestyle scene. In case you're feeling out of the loop, The List is here to inform you what the fabulous twosome has been up to since the show ended.
Love Lust or Run
After What Not to Wear, Stacy London didn't skip a beat between hosting duties. The style guru boarded another TLC makeover series in 2013 called Love Lust or Run. This time around London was solo in her quest to "makeunder" the show's participants, helping them embrace their inner light and bolster their self esteem.
While London has credited What Not to Wear with changing the trajectory of her life and career, the fashionista enjoyed the message her new show delivered even more. In an interview with HuffPost, London explains, "I feel much more [like] a mentor to these women and one of the things that I felt very strongly about, especially since I don't have a co-host, [is] that I'm not out to change them. I don't want them to blend in, they aren't necessarily meant to look conventional." Sadly, the TLC series would end in 2016 after three seasons.
The style chameleon
Stacy London was known for her signature style while on What Not to Wear; however, as the stylist grew older, her style and outlook on life evolved. The television star talked about moving on from the series that made her a household name, and accepting the inevitable in a thought-provoking personal essay for Refinery29, explaining, "When I look back, I realize the style I had while I was on What Not to Wear — the pencil skirts and sheath dresses, the floral and ruffled tops — does not reflect who I am now. It reflects the television persona I gave up a long time ago. It no longer "fits." (Pun intended.) I dress much more androgynously than I did when I was younger."
London talks about rewriting her own fashion rules in a 2017 interview with Man Repeller, saying "In my What Not to Wear days, I was all about telling people exactly what to do. We gave actual rules, for Chrissakes. I don't really believe in that anymore." She continued: "We've left the idea of 'how to' dressing culture behind and have embraced more of a 'me too' sense of style.
Clinton Kelly was co-host of The Chew
Clinton Kelly joined The Chew alongside chefs Mario Batali, Michael Symon, Carla Hall, and nutritionist Daphne Oz, in 2011. The daytime talk show featured cooking segments and discussion on trending food and lifestyle topics. Instead of fixing outfits, Kelly would gossip with his co-hosts in between dazzling the audience by showcasing his cooking prowess and making delectable recipes.
While the show differed greatly from What Not to Wear, it was a lot less stressful for Kelly. He explained in a 2014 interview with The News & Observer, "The Chew allows me to express all the things in my life I like — cooking, entertaining, style, making things... 'What Not to Wear was my work and 'The Chew' is more like how I live my life." Sadly, The Chew was cancelled in 2018, soon after co-host Batali stepped down due to sexual misconduct allegations. Despite this, Kelly still remains close friends with Symon and Hall.
And the award goes to...
Before The Chew was cancelled, it won two Daytime Emmy Awards. While it was an amazing feat for the show to be nominated every year between 2014 and 2018, it is a huge accomplishment to actually win multiple times. The luck started in 2015 when the hosts would all share the award for Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host in 2015. The following year in 2016, The Chew as a whole won for Outstanding Talk Show.
The Chew was nominated again for Outstanding Informative Talk Show in 2018; however, the show would lose to The Dr. Oz Show – coincidentally, Dr. Oz lost the Emmy to his daughter Daphne Oz, a host on The Chew, in 2015! The co-hosts addressed the nomination prior to the awards, praising The Chew's staff and crew for making the nomination possible. Unfortunately, the series wouldn't have another chance for an Emmy win because the show was cancelled after seven seasons, just a few months later.
Style for every body
Continuing on her crusade to help women feel good about what they wear, Stacy London launched a clothing line with Meijer Style in 2017 called Massini by Stacy. This marked the first time Meijer enlisted a celebrity to help promote their brand. Peter Whitsett, Executive Vice President of Merchandising and Marketing for Meijer explained in a press release that London was chosen for her keen sense of style and innate ability to connect with female consumers. He said, "We are thrilled to partner with Stacy because she has a knack for quickly creating an emotional connection, and is committed to helping all women feel beautiful and confident regardless of size."
The collection offers women of any age and any clothing size to shop the latest trends, all in one place. Created to inspire body confidence and challenge beauty standards, Massini has something for everybody. London says on the collection's site: "There's a common misbelief that trends only look good on a specific body type or are limited to youth. ...There are no limits. You can wear a trend regardless of your age or body type. I love helping women connect the dots."
Frenemies
Many fans of What Not to Wear were shocked to learn that the co-hosts weren't actually friends off-screen. In 2017, Kelly revealed London blocked him on Twitter. He later explained on The Chew that there wasn't any beef between the trendy twosome: "It seems juicy, but it really isn't that juicy. ...It was like getting a little slap in the face — I was like, 'What is that all about? Why, and how, and when?'"
Fans wondered what happened between the pair who appeared like best friends on What Not to Wear, but London denied a feud existed. Soon, London shared a cryptic post on her Instagram about forgiveness and blocking people on social media. The post read, "Last night, I was thinking about forgiveness... it occurred to me that taking action like blocking people in order to feel some sense of control over other's actions is a waste of my time. ...Forgiveness is something you give yourself to move on, to find peace, to let go. So I unblocked a bunch of people today."
Clinton is a hater
While he may or may not hate Stacy London, Clinton Kelly surely hates everyone else. How do we know this? Well, in 2017, the stylist and writer penned a memoir called I Hate Everyone, Except You. This marked the fifth book from Kelly whose other books include Dress Your Best: The Complete Guide to Finding the Style That's Right for Your Body with Stacy London in 2005; Freakin' Fabulous: How to Dress, Speak, Behave, Eat, Drink, Entertain, Decorate, and Generally be Better than Everyone Else in 2008; Oh No She Didn't in 2010; and Freakin Fabulous on a Budget in 2013.
Infused with Kelly's infamous snark, humor, and wit, I Hate Everyone, Except You features personal stories of the style maven's life and career. He told APB Speakers, "I spent my life trying to prove to people that I was fabulous. Because I remember being in junior high and high school, and really feeling like I had a lot to offer the world, and feeling like I was fabulous, but nobody got it... so I had to work at being fabulous."
London has a set back in 2017
Stacy London catapulted to success after landing What Not to Wear, so fans were surprised to learn the fashion expert was struggling tremendously in 2017. London broke her silence in an essay for Refinery29, explaining that she had undergone back surgery that caused a major financial and mental setback. The TV host's mental state spiraled out of control post-surgery, and she became careless with her money.
She writes, "Without a job to go to, and with a good enough excuse not to, I started to spend money almost mindlessly: I ordered in food twice a day (mostly Bareburger and mostly with the Caviar app). I bought toys for my dog Dora — toys I could barely pick up. I paid for my housekeeper and a full-time driver I couldn't take anywhere. And after you've binged every available Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon series (old AND new), the next logical activity? Online shopping, of course!" Thankfully, London learned from her mistakes and set out to fix them in 2018.
In 2018, things were practically perfect in every way
Along with penning emotional personal essays, Stacy London spent a portion of 2018 styling Lin-Manuel Miranda for the Mary Poppins press tour. The star gushed about the positive experience in an Instagram post, thanking all individuals involved and expressing her gratitude for the opportunity.
While London successfully styled Miranda for his film tour, this wasn't the first time the pair worked together. When the Hamilton star received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for "How Far I'll Go" from Moana, he entrusted London to help him fulfill a childhood promise to take his mom, Dr. Luz Towns-Miranda, to the show.
London transformed Dr. Towns-Miranda into a classic beauty reminiscent of Jackie O and Audrey Hepburn, and Miranda couldn't help but gush over the look on The Rachael Ray Show. While Miranda did not win the Academy Award that year, he was a winner with the best-dressed prize on his arm, all thanks to London!
Kelly by Clinton Kelly
Despite The Chew coming to an end, Clinton Kelly hasn't stopped making things fabulous. After 10 years helping women feel and look their best, Kelly decided to launch a women's clothing line for QVC called Kelly by Clinton Kelly.
Kelly created the line based on some of the most common fashion mistakes he noticed while styling women on What Not to Wear, including women wearing clothes too tight for their bodies (making them appear bigger), and women wearing clothing too big (making them look frumpy). He explained in an interview with Boca Raton Observer, "I designed my QVC line for the average women, who is 5'4" and a size 12 or 14. ...Most clothes are designed for a size 2 or 4, which is such a small subset of the population."
Kelly by Clinton Kelly is filled with affordable, versatile outfits designed to make every woman feel like they've just received a makeover on What Not to Wear.
Stylists to the rescue!
When Stacy London and Clinton Kelly aren't saving the wardrobes of the needy, they're busy taking care of their rescue pups!
London has her Morkie, Dora, and shares the doggo's adventures on Instagram. The adorable pup has her own page where she can be seen laying around, walking the streets of New York, and snuggling with her mama, who she has referred to as the "dopest mama in the galaxy."
Kelly adopted Jack Russell Terrier, Mary, and has boasted about the dog on social media. The stylist adopted Mary from Pet Rescue in 2009, and has been supporting the shelter's efforts for the last decade. He shared this post expressing his love for the shelter, and urged his followers to support them. Over the years, the TV host has even matched donations up to $15,000 and offered up Skype consultations to fans.
Both Dora and Mary are a true rags-to-riches story, becoming the most fashionable pups in all of the Empire State.
Spring baker
In February 2019, the Food Network announced that Clinton Kelly would be hosting the fifth season of its hit series Spring Baking Championship! In the eight-episode season, Kelly is tasked with putting 10 talented bakers to the test to create delicious baked treats worthy enough to tickle the taste buds of the show's judges, Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman, and Lorraine Pascale. Food Network President, Courtney White explained in the press release that Kelly's charismatic personality and lifestyle expertise were a perfect addition for the show.
Kelly, who is no stranger to cooking after hosting food-centric daytime talk show The Chew, gushed about the show and its judges in an Instagram post, captioning, "It's official. I'm hosting Spring Baking Championship on Food Network. Yay!!! Working with these three was a real treat. Some amazingly talented competitors too. (And I get to wear suits again!)" The series was previously hosted by chef Bobby Deen, and television personalities Jesse Palmer and Ali Khan, respectively.
Stacy experiences loss
While Stacy London had a year of professional growth in 2018, she would also experience one of the greatest losses in her life: the death of her father, Herbert London. Always transparent with her fans, London shared an emotional post about losing her father, who she described as her first love, on Instagram. After losing one of the biggest superheroes of her life, London utilized social media to discuss her grief, hoping that talking candidly about loss would help others heal during their time of need.
She opened up about her difficulty spending the holidays without her father and finding comfort in soft, oversized clothing in another Instagram photo. She explained, "My hope is that in sharing this info it might be of some help or comfort to someone else who feels powerless in the face of loss tonight, or ever really." The post resulted in many of London's followers reaching out to her with their personal stories of loss and grief, for which London expressed immense gratitude.
Clinton Kelly gets basic
Along with making the best of his fashion skills, Kelly utilized his sense of humor by launching a hilarious web series called "Basic Grammar for Basic B***hes." In the show, Kelly reads negative comments individuals make about him on social media, and then corrects their grammar while simultaneously — and indirectly — insulting them.
In the first episode, Kelly provides an invaluable lesson on how to best use "your" and "you're." The series contains many lessons and has featured guest appearances from celebs like Broadway star Laura Benanti and actress Jennifer Esposito. In between correcting his haters' grammar, Kelly boasts about his charm and how much he is loved by women in the 18-34 demographic.
Kelly doesn't let the critics get him down and instead uses his wit and confidence to brilliantly dismantle haters and their negativity, all with a smile on his face. This funny and creative series gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, "Kill them with kindness."