Chris Appleton

Chris Appleton was in a relationship with Katie Katon for nine years, and they have two children, Billy, born in 2002, and Kitty-Blu, born in 2004. Appleton came out as gay at the age of 26 and has described telling his children as the hardest part of that process. He has said that he remains close to both of them.

Appleton was married to actor Lukas Gage from 2023 to 2024. Their wedding was filmed for an episode of The Kardashians. Appleton is dyslexic.

Appleton began styling his mother Jane's hair as a child, an experience that sparked his interest in hairstyling. He started his first salon job in Leicester at 13 in 1996 and continued developing his skills by travelling to London during his time off, assisting artists on set, taking classes and earning a hair colour degree.

He later assisted backstage at international fashion shows and created looks for editorial photoshoots. In 2010, he won the BBC competition Young Hairdresser of the Year, as well as the Eastern Hairdresser of the Year and Most Wanted IT Boy awards. His magazine work included styling Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne.

Appleton's first celebrity client was Rita Ora, who booked him for campaigns, red-carpet events and her tour. He worked with Ora for two years and created a range of looks involving extensions, wigs, colour and different hair lengths.

Appleton moved from London to Los Angeles in December 2016 after finishing work on The X Factor UK with Ora. One of his first major Los Angeles opportunities came from styling Christina Aguilera's hair on The Voice, including an extensively discussed lavender look. His work on social media helped expand his client base, which came to include Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, Adele, Dua Lipa and Sofía Vergara.

Appleton is associated with several widely recognised celebrity hairstyles, including Ariana Grande's high ponytail, Kim Kardashian's sleek glass hair and Jennifer Lopez's curls for the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show. He has also worked with Britney Spears and conceptualised hair looks for campaigns, red-carpet events and music projects.

His editorial work has appeared in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Marie Claire, Grazia and L'Officiel Paris. His professional roles include Vogue contributor, Global Color Ambassador for Schwarzkopf USA, Director of Color Wow and Ambassador for Shark Beauty. He has also worked with fashion houses including Chanel, Vivienne Westwood, Fendi, Moschino, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Saint Laurent, Tom Ford and Burberry.

Appleton has appeared on The Kardashians, The Drew Barrymore Show and Today, alongside credits on programmes including The X Factor UK, Gutsy and The Amazing Race. His work and appearances have also connected him with television documentaries and entertainment programmes.

In 2026, Appleton released his debut memoir, Your Roots Don't Define You, with a foreword by Kris Jenner. The book subsequently appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list. He was also announced as a contestant on the twenty-fourth series of Strictly Come Dancing.