The Fellowship for British Hairdressing is delighted to announce the 2026 F.A.M.E. Team Finalists.
The Fellowship Academy of Merit and Excellence is an annual initiative that was created to nurture, encourage, and promote an elite group of up-and-coming hairdressers in all aspects of the industry. The F.A.M.E. Team enjoys a busy and fulfilling year which includes mentor days with a variety of industry experts, photoshoots, the opportunity to work on shows and seminars along with training on a variety of subjects including media communication and presentation skills from some of the biggest names in the business.
The 2026 F.A.M.E. Team Semi-Finals, sponsored by K18, took place at the TONI&GUY Academy in London, being hosted by the current F.A.ME. Team 2025/26 Leader, Christel Barron-Hough and the President of the Fellowship, Ashleigh Hodges. 16 semi-finalists took part in an intense day of judging, with the 8 finalists being chosen at the end of the day.
The semi-finalists were given multiple challenges throughout the day, presenting their looks, mood-boards, and models to prestigious panel of judges. The judging panel included Zoe Irwin,
Annabel Payne, Sally Brooks, George Smith, and Gareth Hassall.
The final challenge saw the 16 semi-finalists be separated into teams to present a two-minute showcase with their models, in front of a live audience.
After careful deliberation from the judges, the 8 finalists are:
- Chelsey Stone, Chelsey Stone Hair
- Katie Guise, Ochre Hair Studio
- Samantha Bryne, Vanilla Hair Design
- Amelia Krasinski, KH Arnold
- Meg Piper, Solstice Hair Studio
- Christina Thomson, The Little Hair Company
- Troy Boyd, Anthony John Walmsley
- Olivia Brady, The Honeycomb
The finalists will now be invited back to take part in an all-day event on the 20th of October with a prestigious panel of judges where they will be asked to work on a variety of tasks and create some inspiring hair work for the judges. The F.A.M.E. team will then officially be announced on the 1st of December 2025 at the Fellowship Luncheon and Hair Awards at the Londoner Hotel, London.
Commenting on the announcement of the 2026 F.A.M.E. Team finalists, Ashleigh Hodges, the President of the Fellowship for British Hairdressing, said: “A huge congratulations to all this year’s finalists! The response to being part of the 2026 F.A.M.E. team was incredible, and the calibre of entries was exceptional. All the finalists should be extremely proud of themselves – the talent that was demonstrated at the semi-finals was phenomenal! We now look forward to the final in October – best of luck to you all!”
Christel Barron-Hough, F.A.M.E. Team Leader said: “The F.A.M.E. Team Semi-Finals was a jam-packed day, full of energy and talent all in one room. It was great to see so much passion, commitment, and enthusiasm from all the contestants and we had a wide variety of hairdressing looks to judge. This year felt really elevated and the judges for the Finals will have a difficult job trying to find the final 4 as the standard was high.”