Ulrika Jonsson gave fans a double take after swapping her trademark blonde hair for a string of dramatic wigs on Instagram Stories. The presenter, 58, told followers she is “considering a change.”
She first tried a short black wig with red highlights and side-swept bangs. Then she switched into a brunette, 70s-inspired curly style.
After that, Ulrika posed in a platinum-blonde bob wig and glasses. She smiled for the camera and looked worlds away from her usual image.
The playful snaps landed on her Instagram Stories on Wednesday.
Ulrika Jonsson’s ‘new hair’
Each look gave off a very different vibe. The black wig felt bold and edgy, while the brunette curls leaned retro.
The platinum bob brought a softer glam feel. Even so, it still marked a big change from the look most viewers know.
Ulrika seemed to be having fun with the makeover. Her caption also hinted that the change may not be just a joke.
That light-hearted post arrived alongside a much deeper chapter in her life. In recent months, she has spoken with striking honesty about sobriety.
- In January, Ulrika Jonsson spoke on Spencer Matthews’ UNTAPPED podcast about a difficult phone call from a close friend that became a turning point.
- Last month, she discussed her recovery on the In Recovery Ark House Rehab podcast and said going sober had “completely changed” her.
- She said her drinking became significantly worse in the two years before sobriety and described alcohol as a “mood alterer”.
- She has said she now handles life’s challenges differently and is nearing two years of sobriety.
The deeper Ulrika transformation behind the selfies
Last month, she reflected on that journey during the In Recovery Ark House Rehab podcast. She said: “I had a spiritual awakening – really it’s just like I was waiting for this my whole life [going sober].”
She added: “I felt safe after my first meeting. I felt like I belonged there after my first in-person meeting. There is so much in the programme that should be taught in schools.
“I pass on bits to my kids.”
Ulrika also said: “It completely changed me. It has the ability to change you as a person and it felt like I was waiting for this my whole life. Life will throw stuff at me still but now I deal with it in a completely different way.”
She shared one of her starkest reflections too. “I went from not wanting to live to now wanting to squeeze every moment out of my life. I missed having some kind of faith.
- Ulrika Jonsson is a Swedish-British television presenter and media personality.
- She became widely known in the UK through presenting roles on mainstream television in the 1990s and 2000s.
- Her screen career has included entertainment, magazine and reality television appearances.
- She has remained a familiar public figure through broadcasting, newspaper columns and interviews about her personal life.
“The programme was spiritual for me.”
She also explained how quickly her drinking worsened. She said, “My drinking only really got bad in the two years up to my sobriety. I used it as a mood alterer.
“It eased the bridge from public me to private me.”
In another painful admission, she said: “Deep inside, I was hoping the drink would take me. That’s the only way I can articulate it. I was hoping that one day it would just be so bad that I wouldn’t wake up.”
Back in January, Ulrika recalled a difficult phone call from her best friend during Spencer Matthews’ UNTAPPED podcast. She said: “She said, ‘I need to speak to you because I spoke to you at 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon and I could understand a [bleeping] word you said. You have a problem, and I can’t help you.'”
She admitted the conversation left her devastated, but it became a turning point. The star is now nearing two years of sobriety.
Read more: Ulrika Jonsson reveals emotional family health update on dog: ‘Bless my boy’