CHRIS APPLETON: Bullies Spat on Me at School. Now I’m Kim Kardashian’s Most Trusted Hair Stylist

About this episode

<p>Chris Appleton has built a reputation as one of the world’s most trusted celebrity hair stylists. From Kim Kardashian and JLo to Ariana Grande and Christina Aguilera, he’s worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood.&nbsp;</p><br><p>It’s a world away from his upbringing in Leicester. As a teenager, Chris was bullied at school for working in a local hairdressers and was labelled before he had even begun to understand his own sexuality.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><br><p>In our conversation, Chris opens up about the abuse he faced from bullies, coming out in his twenties and the difficult period that followed. He tells me about the moment he realised he'd built a career helping other people feel confident - but had never done the same for himself - and how he’s finally learned to accept and love who he is.&nbsp;</p><br><p>In this episode, Chris shares:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Why he cried after styling JLO’s hair for the Super Bowl</li><li>Being spat on and bullied at school for being different&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>How he’s learned to accept himself and love who he is&nbsp;</li><li>Why his marriage to Euphoria star Lukas Gage didn’t work</li><li>The celebrity he wants to style next&nbsp;</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Chris is a powerful reminder that the people who seem to have it all figured out are often the ones who've had to fight the hardest to get there.</p><br><p>Chris Appleton is Great Company.&nbsp;</p><br><p>You can get Chris' book, Your Roots Don't Define You <a href="https://yourrootsdontdefineyou.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here!</a></p><br><p>This episode contains sensitive topic discussions including suicide. If you or someone you know is affected by anything in this episode and need support, please see the suggested helpline and website links below.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Samaritans - 116 123 - <a href="http://samaritans.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">samaritans.org</a>&nbsp;</p><br><p>If you enjoyed the show, you can also follow us:&nbsp;</p><p>Instagram-<a href="https://www.instagram.com/greatcompanypodcast/#" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> @greatcompanypodcast</a></p><p>TikTok -<a href="https://open.acast.com/networks/611e511b4ec6dc00134bced2/shows/65d737dfdc02e00016c413b2/episodes/www.tiktok.com/@greatcompanypodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> @greatcompanypodcast&nbsp;</a></p><p>Jamie -<a href="https://www.instagram.com/jamielaing/?hl=en-gb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> @jamielaing</a></p><br><p>And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: greatcompany@jampotproductions.co.uk</p><br><p>THE CREDITS</p><p>Producer: Helen Burke</p><p>Assistant Producer: Issy Weeks-Hankins</p><p>Video: Josh Bennett</p><p>Senior Social Media Manager: Laura Coughlan</p><p>Audio: Rafi Amsili Geovannetti</p><p>Executive Producer: Ewan Newbigging-Lister</p><br><p>Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>