Hairdressing Student Wins BBC TV Show

Hammersmith and Fulham College hairdressing student, Phil Hunt, has won the award of Britain’s Best Amateur Hair Stylist 2015 in the BBC Two TV series ‘Hair’.

At 32, Phil decided to switch careers and enrolled on a hairdressing course at West London College. A year later, the course led to Phil landing a role in the TV series. Phil, now 33, had a successful career as a retail brand manager when he decided to leave and follow his dreams by studying at the college.

He says: “I hit 32 and realised that I didn’t want to spend my life doing something that didn’t inspire me. I’ve always been passionate about hair design – I see it as an art form, and love the way structure and form can create a unique look that changes a person’s appearance within minutes. I was passing the college one day and decided to go in and have a look. I was very conscious of being a mature student, but meeting my lecturer made me feel at ease about going into something that was outside of my comfort zone. She had over 30 years’ experience and was passionate and inspiring – I signed up straight away.”

He added: “The advice I would give for anyone frustrated, bored or unfulfilled by their current job, would be to come into the college and get a feel for the environment here. I gave up a career that was set for me and went back to basics and I’ve not stopped since. Ever since September, I’ve been on a constant high. If you have a passion for something you have to live and breathe it, everything else comes naturally with it.”

On winning the show, Phil said: “I am absolutely thrilled to have won. This competition has been one of the most intense and surreal experiences of my life. I have enjoyed every aspect of the show, from having the resources to create new and wild hair designs, to discovering new things about myself along the way. I’d like to thank the BBC for giving me this opportunity. I have always had a desire to work as a hair designer and stylist within film, television and theatre. It was only when I began training at college that the auditions for ‘Hair’ came about, and I would never have thought then that I would be the winner.”