'Claudia Winkleman wore my jumper on The Traitors'

"We'd normally sell 10 to 12 of these a year. Within two days, we had absolutely smashed our annual takings and within a month, we'd sold 100."

In summer 2023, Lauren Aston was contacted by Claudia Winkleman's stylist, Sinead McKeefry, asking if Winkleman could try on some of Aston's items for Strictly Come Dancing and The Traitors.

It was a message which would transform her small business.

Aston, who runs Lauren Aston Designs, said it made her count her lucky stars.

"I said yes, please, anything that you want is yours. It was just a pinch me [moment]," she said.

Aston, who runs the business in Devon but lives in Hagley, Worcestershire, said her business exploded when Winkleman wore one of her chunky hand-knitted green jumpers on an episode of the second series of The Traitors.

"It's still the story I won't shut up about," she laughed

"They said Claudia loves the jumper, she'll be wearing that and a few scarves and bits. I didn't know if she'd wear it for a minute or at night with a coat over it," she said.

However, on the day of the episode's release, Aston's business was tagged in a photo of Winkleman by her stylist.

"It was unbelievable. As soon as that post went out, the orders just kept coming in," she said.

"It was chaos, but in the best possible way. The most exciting way."

Aston, who sells knitting patterns, knitting kits, and commissioned items, normally sold 10 to 12 of the jumpers a year, which cost between £250 to £300, but within a month, the business had had 100 commissions.

"We just couldn't knit fast enough. we struggled to get the yarn!" she said.

"[The jumper] was a middle of the road seller, it had been out around a year.

"It wasn't turning heads like this and now it's suddenly our best seller and everyone wants it in Claudia green."

Aston, who has a degree in fashion textiles, said she believed there had been a recent resurgence in knitting.

"People are turning to these wholesome mindful crafts especially in the evening," she said.

"People are turning to knitting because it keeps you busy - and it's so satisfying.

"You use 30 muscles when you're knitting. It's literally the only exercise I do!"

Just a month after Aston's jumper debuted on The Traitors, she went on maternity leave, and is now building the business back up, hoping that - like in the show - her customers are faithful.

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