A mum has claimed a hairdresser got drunk while dying her hair and fitting a weave, which left her with a needle stuck in her scalp and the “worst hairstyle of 2020”.
Emily Hunt – a 24-year-old fellow hairdresser from Bolton – said she “wanted to die” when she realised just how terrible her hair looked after asking a former work colleague if she would touch up her roots, add some highlights and attach a £225 sew-in weave just prior to salons closing due to the second national lockdown amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The hairdresser and friend – whom Emily said she’d recently reconnected with – agreed and asked for £70 to cover her time and expertise.
She also quoted £25 to apply the hair dye Emily provided and a further £45 to braid and sew in the hair piece, but Emily admitted the hairdresser then spent four-and-a-half hours at her home carrying out the work, while necking gin and bizarrely washing her own hair too.
Emily said the woman responsible for her disastrous do was someone she used to work at a salon with, and as a friendly gesture, offered the hairdresser a drink while doing her hair, but said she didn’t expect her to drink as much as she did.
The mum-of-one claimed she was also forced to do “half the work” herself – mixing the colours for her own hair, rinsing it out and even sewing some of the hair pieces together – and she said the hairdresser even demanded the money before she left.
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Emily Hunt – Kennedy News & Media
Recalling the situation, Emily said: “We were on lockdown from Thursday, so that’s why I needed to get my hair done by someone quick.
“As I’m a hairdresser, I’ve got a trade card so I provided the medium blonde colour and hair piece. She made me fix the colour, all she did was paint me some roots on and then told me to wash it off while she was having a cig at the door. She put eight highlights throughout the top and I even took the eight foils out of my hair myself too.
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“I thought it was a bit weird, I remember thinking ‘why am I even paying someone when I’m doing half of the job myself?’.”
After Emily rinsed the dye off her hair, the woman told her to partially-dry her own hair before she attached the hair piece.
Emily continued: “She told me she had to do my plaits while my hair was wet, which I found weird. She said to only dry it 20% [so] I stood in the kitchen and I blasted it myself while she went for another cig.”
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The hairdresser then plaited three rows of hair to attach the sew-in weave to.
“When she’d done the first row of weave she went for a shower and washed her hair with my shampoo and conditioner then she came back to it.” Emily said.
“She did three plaits, but the bottom one was very, very low and then she didn’t leave a big enough gap to go up to the other one. They were just all very loose and I could feel the top of the hair extensions touching my ears and the back of my neck. [Usually] when that happens, that’s when you need to get it re-done, not when you’ve just had it done [and] when she was sewing the hair onto the plait she’s not secured it, she’s not even finished off the sewing and she’s left the thread hanging down with a needle.
“When she left she said ‘transfer me that money now’, I was put in a position where I couldn’t really not send it.”
After sharing pictures of the horror hairstyle on social media, the post went viral racking up nearly 12,000 likes, shares and comments, with one person aptly saying “if 2020 was a weave”.
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In a desperate attempt to get the situation rectified, Emily admitted to frantically messaging a nearby hair salon and pleading for an appointment to sort it out.
She said: “I didn’t sleep properly, I kept waking up all night and I messaged a stylist at 2am saying ‘please can you fit me in tomorrow morning because you’re never going to believe it. You’re going to see this weave and you’re going to laugh your head off, honestly it’s so bad’.
“When they asked what was up with it, I replied ‘What’s right with it? When I sit on the chair you’ll see’.
“Everybody’s eyes were popping out of their heads and their jaws were dropping, all the stylists were saying it’s the worst weave they’ve ever seen’. It took no longer than an hour to fix. She did it really nicely and then cut and styled it for me, I loved it.
“When the hairdresser got to the second row, that’s when she found the needle when it pricked her finger. She couldn’t believe it was there and said ‘what the hell? Where did that come from?’
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“[The original hairdresser] caught my scalp with the needle tip and it hurt. It’s got a scab on it now so it must have bled. I remember thinking, ‘oh my god that could have stabbed me in the head all night.'”
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This unfortunately wasn’t the end of the ordeal though.
After sending messages to the original hairdresser for a refund and getting no reply, Emily wrote a Facebook post sharing her hair horror.
The woman got in touch and offered to fix her hair, but Emily declined and has since contacted the hairdresser’s boss and reported her to Trading Standards.
“I shared the post because she was ignoring my messages.” Emily said.
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“She sent me a voice note saying ‘I’m sure I’ve done a really bad job, I’ll come back on Wednesday to sort it out [but] I said I would be out and then asked her for a refund and she started kicking off. She then started saying she should have charged me £110, which is the standard price for all of those hair treatments, and offered to refund me £30.
“I contacted her boss who said a message would be passed on, but mentioned it happened outside of work and was nothing to do with them.
“I won’t be letting her do my hair again and I’ve contacted Trading Standards.
“I just want my money back, I also don’t want anyone else getting the same treatment.”
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Co-creator of Manchester-Blackpool bike ride hoping to reunite with fellow founders for special anniversary
Danny Jones
One of the co-creators of the much-loved Manchester to Blackpool charity bike ride is looking to reunite with some of his fellow founding members for a very special anniversary of the heartwarming event.
Way back when, Tony O’Dwyer was one of just six original riders who embarked on the bike ride from Manchester – Media City in Salford Quays, more precisely – to the Blackpool seafront, which has gone on to become a beloved and regularly frequented fundraiser.
Fast forward four decades later and not only is the annual cycling event approaching its 40th anniversary, but O’Dwyer himself is looking to take it on yet again, just four days before his 70th birthday.
Oh yeah, it’s worth mentioning he’s done it every year since the beginning – including solo during the pandemic. Simply incredible.
Go on, Tony, lad! (Credit: The Christie Charity)
To make things even more memorable, the Wigan-born bike-riding legend is calling on his fellow Manchester-Blackpool bike ride founders to join him in a momentous reunion that is both a personal celebration and one that champions the famous fundraising endurance challenge.
It may have started out as little more than half a dozen blokes setting off from Albert Square in Manchester city centre on a pretty ambitious voyage, but it’s gone on to become a North West tradition and a powerful way to support vital causes, not least of all charities like The Christie Foundation.
This year, Tony will be riding once again to raise funds for The Christie in honour of his late father, Franco O’Dwyer, who was cared for by the specialist hospital and research centre after being diagnosed with stomach cancer.
Franco sadly died 10 years ago, and Tony has been a passionate supporter of the organisation ever since, taking various fundraising challenges even beyond his usual Manchester to Blackpool bike ride.
Speaking ahead of the anniversary edition, Tony said: “I can’t believe it’s been 40 years since we first did it. Back in 1985, it was just a group of mates, a few bikes, and the road to Blackpool – we didn’t have the gear, just grit and a bit of madness!
Credit: Supplied
“We passed through Leigh, Standish, Preston, and St Annes, stopping at pubs and windmills along the way, just enjoying the journey. I’d love to reconnect with the original group – Mike, Barry, Susan, John, Margaret and Christine – it would be brilliant to see where life has taken them.”
“The first time I did the bike ride, I was in fancy dress as a lion, and I’ve done it every year since. I even did it during COVID on my own when the event was postponed, and there were others on the way doing it themselves too, which was amazing to see!”
Crediting The Christie with prolonging his father’s life and giving his family that extra precious time, he’s now proud to fly the flag for the foundation, and they have just as much love for him.
Mass participation events officer Josh Hughff added: “Tony is an incredible ambassador for the Charity and for this event. His dedication over four decades is inspiring, and we’re honoured he continues to ride in support of The Christie Charity.
“His story is a reminder of the lasting power of community, memory, and giving back.”
For anyone who’d like to join Tony and be part of ‘Team Christie’ 2025 as they head towards the seaside town’s South Promenade, you can sign up HERE.
As for those pioneers who first took on the challenge all those years ago, if you were part of that original group or know someone who was, please contact Maggie Doyle at The Christie Charity on 07717 532195.
Fingers crossed we can get the gang back together.
Featured Images — The Chrisite (supplied)/Leo C. Owen (Pexels)
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Jadon Sancho set for return to Manchester United after Chelsea pay to avoid permanent signing
Danny Jones
England winger Jadon Sancho looks like he’s coming back to Manchester United, at least for the time being, following his stint at Chelsea, with the Premier League club opting to pay a penalty in order to avoid signing him full-time.
Sancho was loaned out to the UEFA Conference League winners just over a year ago after falling out with the previous Man United head coach, Erik ten Hag, playing 42 games for the West Londoners.
The naturally gifted winger, who was considered one of the hottest prospects in Europe just a few short years ago, also pulled back on a Borussia Dortmund shirt for a six-month loan spell in January 2024, but his return was never made permanent either.
In the case of Chelsea, despite having an obligation to buy Sancho when they initially signed him last summer, the deal – worth a reported £25 million – included a £5m clause which would allow them to get out of said obligation: a clause that owner Todd Boehly’s club has seemingly to have activated.
BREAKING: Jadon Sancho will return to Manchester United after failing to agree to personal terms with Chelsea 🚨 pic.twitter.com/1F55sXWoT4
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) June 3, 2025
As per the likes of The Athletic, Sancho is set for a return to MUFC and Carrington as he waits to see what the INEOS administration and new manager Ruben Amorim (who is yet to have the 25-year-old among his options since arriving at Old Trafford) do with him.
It remains to be seen whether or not the former Man City youth star will make another appearance at the Theatre of Dreams itself, but with co-owner Jim Ratcliffe said to be strapped for cash and yet still looking to bring in new players, they’ll be hoping at least fetch a decent fee for the him.
Sancho registered five goals and 10 assists during his time at Stamford Bridge, and despite perhaps not lighting the world on fire, he proved to be a useful addition to the squad and contributed in some big moments – that recent European final being the standout this season.
Nevertheless, it is believed that Chelsea were unwilling to match the salary paid by his parent club, with the one-time national team starlet said to be on weekly wages of around £300,000, according to reports.
Born in the capital himself, Sancho grew to be favoured by a sizeable portion of the supporters, and while the Man United fan base is pretty divided when it comes to Sancho coming back, there are plenty of Blues that will miss him.
Meanwhile, regardless of his return to United, Sancho being moved on rather quickly looks the most likely outcome now that the summer transfer window is open.