Chris Appleton
Chris Appleton | |
|---|---|
 Appleton in 2026 | |
| Born | Christopher David Appleton 14 June 1983 Leicester, England |
| Occupation | Hairstylist |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Television | The Kardashians Strictly Come Dancing |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Christopher David Appleton (born 14 June 1983) is an English hairstylist. Known for his extensive celebrity clientele, his work has appeared in various publications including Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Marie Claire, Grazia and L'Officiel. He has made several appearances on The Kardashians and The Drew Barrymore Show and is set to appear as a contestant on the twenty-fourth series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2026.
Early life
[edit]Christopher David Appleton was born on 14 June 1983 in Leicester, England, the third of five children born to Jane (née Twigger) and David Appleton.[1][2] Appleton would style his mother's hair as a child, which ignited his interest in working as a hairstylist.[3][4]
Career
[edit]Appleton began working at a hair salon in his hometown as a teenager in 1996, regularly commuting to London during his time off, where he would assist artists on set, take classes and subsequently earnt a hair colour degree.[5] His first celebrity client was singer Rita Ora, whom after their first appointment, booked Appleton for numerous campaigns, red carpet events and her tour.[2] He went on to amass a number of celebrity clientele including Kim Kardashian and other members of the Kardashian family, which has seen him make several appearances on their reality series The Kardashians, as well as Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Sofía Vergara, Katy Perry and Ariana Grande, conceptualising the latter's iconic "ponytail" hairdo.[6][5][7] He has also made several appearances on The Drew Barrymore Show and Today.[8]
In January 2026, Appleton released his debut memoir, Your Roots Don't Define You, the foreword of which was written by Kris Jenner and subsequently appeared in The New York Times Best Seller list.[9] In June 2026, Appleton was announced as a contestant on the twenty-fourth series of the BBC competition Strictly Come Dancing.[10][11] On joining the show, Appleton said he was "thrilled to be joining [the show] and coming home to the UK for this incredible experience." adding that he "always believed that the best things happen when you take a chance and try something new. I may know my way around a salon floor, but the dance floor is a whole different story – and I can’t wait to get started."[12][13]
Personal life
[edit]Appleton was in a relationship with Katie Katon, whom he met as a teenager, for nine years, and they had two children together, a son, Billy born in 2002, and a daughter, Kitty-Blu born in 2004.[14] Appleton later came out as gay in his twenties.[15] Between 2023 and 2024, Appleton was married to actor Lukas Gage.[16][17] Their marriage was filmed for an episode of The Kardashians.[18][19] Appleton is dyslexic.[20]
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | House of Style | 1 episode | [21] |
| 2017 | The Doctors | 1 episode | [21] |
| 2018 | Rachael Ray | 1 episode | [21] |
| 2018–2020 | The Wendy Williams Show | 3 episodes | [21] |
| 2019–present | Today | Recurring role | [21] |
| 2019 | E! Live from the Red Carpet | 1 episode | [21] |
| 2020 | Entertainment Tonight | 1 episode | [21] |
| 2020 | MTV Prom-athon | 1 episode | [21] |
| 2020–2021 | GMA3 | 2 episodes | [21] |
| 2021 | Jennifer Lopez: Halftime | Documentary | [21] |
| 2021–present | The Drew Barrymore Show | Recurring role | [8] |
| 2022–present | The Kardashians | Recurring role | [6] |
| 2022–2024 | The Craig Caddell Show | 4 episodes | [21] |
| 2023, 2026 | Access Hollywood | 2 episodes | [21] |
| 2024 | Live from the Other Side with Tyler Henry | Documentary | [21] |
| 2025 | Selling Sunset | Episode: "There's No Going Back" | [22] |
| 2026 | Tamron Hall | 1 episode | [21] |
| 2026 | Strictly Come Dancing | Contestant; series 24 | [13] |
Bibliography
[edit]- Your Roots Don't Define You (2026)[23]
References
[edit]- ↑ Stroude, Will (16 March 2023). "Lukas Gage's boyfriend Chris Appleton is a celeb fave and real-life daddy". PinkNews. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- 1 2 "From Leicester To Los Angeles: Meet Chris Appleton, Hair Stylist To The Stars". Grazia. 7 August 2025. Archived from the original on 15 October 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- ↑ Petrarca, Marisa. "Becoming Chris Appleton". Grazia. Archived from the original on 15 November 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- ↑ "The unlikely rise of Kim Kardashian's hair stylist — from Leicester to LA". The Times. Archived from the original on 4 March 2026. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- 1 2 Petrarca, Marisa. "Becoming Chris Appleton". Grazia. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- 1 2 "Kylie Jenner Says Sister Kim Kardashian Was 'Not Happy' When She Borrowed Her Hairstylist". People. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- ↑ "Ariana Grande's Signature Ponytail on 4 Women". ELLE. 11 July 2018. Archived from the original on 22 July 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- 1 2 "Drew Barrymore's icy gray hair transformation has everyone doing a double-take". HOLA! USA. 10 February 2026. Archived from the original on 19 June 2026. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- ↑ Burchfield, Rachel. "Celebrity Hairstylist Chris Appleton Releases A Book About Transformation—And Hair Is Only The 'Entry Point'". Forbes. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- ↑ Jeffery, Morgan. "Strictly 2026 confirms Kim Kardashian hairstylist Chris Appleton | Radio Times". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 19 June 2026. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- ↑ "Strictly reveals Kim Kardashian hair stylist as fourth contestant for 2026 cast". The Independent. 19 June 2026. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- ↑ "Chris Appleton is the fourth celebrity contestant confirmed for Strictly Come Dancing 2026". BBC. Archived from the original on 19 June 2026. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- 1 2 "Strictly Come Dancing just announced 2026's FOURTH celebrity – and it's a surprise". Digital Spy. 19 June 2026. Archived from the original on 19 June 2026. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- ↑ Wetherill, Jack (19 February 2026). "Chris Appleton: 'I thought my kids were better with a dead dad than gay dad'". PinkNews. Archived from the original on 26 March 2026. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
- ↑ "All About Chris Appleton's 2 Kids, Son Billy and Daughter Kitty-Blu". People.com. Archived from the original on 8 August 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- ↑ Wells, Callum (7 August 2025). "Chris Appleton breaks silence on six-month marriage to Lukas Gage: 'I was going through a lot of private pain'". Attitude. Archived from the original on 11 February 2026. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- ↑ "Chris Appleton Breaks Silence on His Divorce From Lukas Gage, 2 Years Later". Cosmopolitan. 7 August 2025. Archived from the original on 19 June 2026. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- ↑ "Lukas Gage has 'no regrets' about marrying Chris Appleton on The Kardashians". FemaleFirst. 26 September 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- ↑ Sugg, Aaron (29 September 2025). "Lukas Gage says he does not recognise himself in Kardashians episode marrying Chris Appleton: 'No one's home'". Attitude. Archived from the original on 17 October 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- ↑ O'Neill, Holly. "Chris Appleton on trends, tips and the key to the perfect blowdry | IMAGE.ie". Image. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Chris Appleton". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- ↑ "'Selling Sunset's Chrishell Stause Ditches Her Signature Waist-Length Hair for a Dramatic Bob". InStyle. Archived from the original on 18 September 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- ↑ Flamberg, Gwen (20 January 2026). "GRAZIA Exclusive: Chris Appleton Digs Deep in His New Book on Transformation: 'Vulnerability Can Be a Beautiful Thing'". Grazia. Archived from the original on 11 June 2026. Retrieved 19 June 2026.