His Work:

Between his barbershop beginnings and his O.B.E. (Officer of the British Empire) award, he pioneered The Wedge, The Chop and The Scrunch. Vidal Sassoon says of his former artistic director that he combines "original thinking with superb technical ability." Anthony Mascolo acknowledges him as "one of the best hairdressers ever-directionally and creatively." No wonder he won British Hairdresser of the Year an unrivaled four times.

Why He's Influential: Enough awards and editorial credits to fill this page, and a TV catalogue including GMTV, This Morning, Call My Bluff, Through the Keyhole, Watchdog and Faking It. He's the only hairdresser to have become so famous that his vocation has been a question on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and The Weakest Link.

Who Influences Him: "My mentor was Vidal Sassoon, who I worked for in the '70s. He taught me discipline in hairdressing and instilled in me that what you put in, you get out. His philosophy was that it was a tireless struggle to achieve the ultimate in hairdressing-there are no shortcuts; you simply have to put in the time and effort and you'll be rewarded."

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