Who Is Chris Appleton? The Hairstylist on Strictly

Who is Chris Appleton?

Chris Appleton is an English hairstylist known for working with well-known entertainers. He has appeared on television, including The Kardashians, and is now competing on the BBC dance show Strictly Come Dancing. ¹³⁴

Reports describe his celebrity clients as including Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Sofía Vergara and Katy Perry. ¹³ His work in a very different setting—the dance floor—is the reason he is in the news now.

Why is Chris Appleton on Strictly Come Dancing?

Appleton joined the 2026 celebrity lineup as its fourth announced contestant and was paired with professional dancer Amy Dowden. ¹³ He said he was pleased to be returning to the UK for the experience and described dancing as a new challenge. ¹

Strictly pairs celebrities with professional dancers and has them perform routines for judges and viewers. For Appleton, the show gives audiences a chance to see him outside his usual hairstyling work.

How has Chris Appleton performed so far?

In the first week, Appleton and Dowden performed a Tango to Alice Merton’s “No Roots.” They received 16 points and ranked 12th out of 15 couples, according to two reports. ¹³

In the second week, they performed a Cha Cha to “I’m Always Here” from Baywatch. The Manchester Evening News reported that judges noted improvement, while Appleton appeared emotional after the performance. ² The available reports do not provide the pair’s second-week score or establish what happened in later competition rounds.

What do we know about his family and personal life?

A report says Appleton has two children, Billy and Kitty-Blu, with his former partner Katie Katon. ³ A separate report says his daughter publicly supported him during the Strictly series, but the supplied account does not give enough detail to explain her comments fully. ²

Appleton married actor Lukas Gage in April 2023, according to one source. ³ Personal details are relevant only insofar as they help explain the headlines; the main story here is his participation in a dance competition.

What does this mean for an ordinary viewer?

If you watch Strictly, Appleton’s story is a familiar celebrity taking on a skill outside his profession, with scores and judges’ feedback shaping how he fares. His hairstyling career explains why he is known; the competition itself is about his performances with Dowden.

For readers who do not follow the show, there is no wider practical consequence in the reports. The headlines concern a television contestant, his early scores and support from his daughter. Later results and the outcome of the series are not established by the information available here.