How does your work in west London differ from your salon in Somerset?
If I hadn’t left Somerset I wouldn’t have met all the celebs, I wouldn’t be doing the TV work and wouldn’t have won the awards.
At 16 you were a professional footballer – if you hadn’t had that ankle injury, how differently do you think your life would have turned out?
I probably wouldn’t be busting my balls to earn in a year what professional footballers earn in a week, but I don’t have any regrets. If I wasn’t going to be a famous footballer then I would be a famous hairdresser.
You’ve travelled the world with the ghd Directive – where is the most inspirational place you’ve visited, and why?
Florence is the most beautiful place – I love its buildings, culture and the people are cool. I also fell in love with Australia because of the weather and the people. Sydney is really buzzy and they say Melbourne is like a mini London, but it has a beautiful beach.
You trained your sister, Tasha, to be a hairdresser too – is there sibling rivalry when you’re working together?
I trained her when I was based in Somerset. I ran the salon there for four years and then she ran it. She’s now managing the Kensington salon and this is the first time we’ve worked together for nine years. There’s no sibling rivalry – she’s a L’Oreal and Matrix colour expert, whereas I’m doing the super-celeb-hairdresser thing.
How did the decision that Tasha would manage your new Kensington salon come about?
She has always been more organised than me and she wanted to move to London to further her career.
Where do you head to wind down or wake up after work?
There is an amazing Iranian restaurant next door to the salon, Alounak, and we’re pretty much in there all the time. The Hare and Tortoise on the corner of High Street Kensington is a sushi gem – as good as any sushi I have ever eaten. We’ll pop to the local pub for a few drinks, or if we are going for a big night, we’ll go to the Blag club or Amika.
What could you not live without?
I work seven days a week and have had one day off in the last 52 days and one holiday in four years – my scissors are like my third arm. I also couldn’t live without my mobile, which never stops.
What’s in your fridge at the moment?
Salmon, houmous and jalepenos, which I have with most things.
How would you describe your personal style?
I look after the hair for the guy who owns All Saints, so he gives me a good deal. I wouldn’t describe my style as Shoreditch or west London; I’d say it’s somewhere in between. I often wear skinny jeans, brogues and denim shirts – classic fashion.
Have you ever made a personal hair faux pas?
Four or five years ago I bleached my hair myself (not something that hairdressers advise) and I got carried away with the packing for a holiday while the bleach was on. I ended up having to cut my hair short because some of my hair broke off.
As resident hairdresser with the The X Factor style team, tell us some backstage gossip…
There’s one person who is the worst person I’ve worked with in my life – and I’ve worked with a lot of people, including a number of celebrities. For the first time in my life, I put my brush down and refused to continue working with this rude diva. The producers had to step in and smooth things over.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
I have a pedicure every now and then – not something most straight guys do.
