Dr Matee: The famous hair transplant surgeon helping heroes and stars across Manchester and beyond
Dr Matee is the go-to guy for hair, eyebrow and beard transplants in 2021 - having treated the likes of Jack Fincham, Jake Quickenden, Gareth Gates, Katie Price, Joe Swash, Mike Hassini, James Lock, Gaz Beadle, Grant Hall, Stuart Hogg, Rob Wotton and Bianca Gascoigne, among others.
The number of famous faces who’ve signed up for hair transplants has risen considerably over the years. But there’s still one celeb who remains synonymous with the surgery.
It’s Wayne Rooney, of course – the former England footballer who bucked the trend of keeping hairline surgery secret by tweeting ‘before and after’ photos out to the world.
It was a bit of a watershed moment. Since the day Rooney openly admitted to getting treatment for male pattern baldness, some of the stigma surrounding hair loss began to fall away.
In the decade since that Tweet, hair surgery has acquired more celebrity sign-ups and moved into the mainstream – with more people than ever wanting more info about an industry that’s growing every day.
This past decade has also produced hair transplant experts and pioneers leading from the front, and one of the most famous examples of all is Dr Matee – a specialist who’s treated everyone from celebs to servicepeople.
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Having performed his first hair follicle work at Harley Street, Dr Matee proceeded to branch out.
Today, he is the go-to guy for hair, eyebrow and beard transplants – having treated the likes of Jack Fincham, Jake Quickenden, Gareth Gates, Katie Price, Joe Swash, Mike Hassini, James Lock, Gaz Beadle, Grant Hall, Stuart Hogg, Rob Wotton and Bianca Gascoigne, among others.
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Joe SwashGareth GatesBianca Gascoigne
But alongside sports, TV and music personalities, Dr Matee has also used his abilities to help those outside the public eye.
His ‘Hair for Heroes’ has been set up to treat those ‘who deserve and need it most’. This can include people with skin deformities, attack victims, and people who dedicate their time to supporting others (charity workers, NHS staff, servicepeople, social workers).
Hair for Heroes recipients can be nominated by anyone – with a panel regularly meeting to decide on each individual nomination.
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Dr Matee also differs from other surgeons in raising the issue of the “major mental health element involved in hair transplants that often doesn’t get discussed”. Part of his mission is to provide services that increase confidence in clients – with hair loss linked to anxiety and depression in some people.
Once upon a time, hair transplants were taboo. But during his time in the industry, Dr Matee says he’s seen the stigma slowly subside.
“Of course, not everyone wants to tell the world about it, but it is so common now,” he explains.
“Both men and women have it done. It has really helped men and women suffering confidence issues to really improve how they feel about themselves. The more people that talk about it, the more people will get help as it really is life changing in how people seem more confident after hair transplant surgery.
“We’ve had countless patients tell us the surgery has completely changed their lives. For people who don’t experience hair loss, they might not understand as much, but when it’s happening to you it can take a massive toll on your self-esteem and mental health.”
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Hair transplants by Dr Matee involve removing hair follicles from the back of the head, known as the donor area, to the front hairline or the top mid-scalp or crown. It is done under local anaesthetic and is a day procedure – classed as ‘minor surgery’.
Patients usually come in on the morning of the surgery and are back at home by the evening.
Dr Matee sees a diverse range of people each week – some popping in for their first treatment, others visiting for corrective surgery to fix botches following poor surgeries performed elsewhere.
The surgeon has even had his own transplant – fixing the corners of his hairline which had also thinned from the front.
But – busyness and big names aside – Dr Matee has also made headlines for his unique approach to surgery: The MinSim technique.
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“MinSim is my very own refined technique of doing hair transplant surgery,” he explains.
“It is something I have developed over the years that allows patients to undergo hair transplant surgery with minimum discomfort, easy recovery and optimum results.
“The MinSim technique, I feel, has revolutionised the patient experience and guarantees that the work we do as a team produces amazing results day in, day out for every single one of our patients.”
Manchester romcom Finding Emily is currently one of the best-reviewed films of 2026 so far
Emily Sergeant
A new romcom that is set, was filmed in, and actually romanticises Manchester is soon to be released overseas.
If you haven’t had the chance to see Finding Emily for yourself yet, the film is set in Manchester at the fictional Manchester City University and tells the story of a lovesick musician, played by Spike Fearn, who meets his dream girl named Emily on a night out.
Sadly though, he ends up with the wrong phone number for Emily, and so teams up with a driven psychology student, played by Angourie Rice, in a bid to find her.
Together, the unlikely duo spark a hilarious campus-wide frenzy that tests their own hearts and ambitions along the way.
The film – which is directed by Alicia MacDonald, based on a screenplay by Rachel Hirons, and produced by Working Title Films – is filled with notable local locations dotted throughout, from Manchester Central Library and Piccadilly Records, to Canal Street, the Northern Quarter, and even the Emmeline Pankhurst statue in St Peter’s Square featured for all to see.
Oh, and not to mention, if you keep your eyes peeled when watching the trailer, you can even see a small clip of Stockport band Blossoms playing a gig in there too.
Finding Emily was released here in the UK back in May, and received overwhelmingly positive reviews from fans and critics, including by The Manc Group team when we were lucky enough to see it at the Manchester premiere.
And ahead of its international release this week (Friday 26 August), those reviews have remained as glowing as ever.
In fact, over on major film review platform Rotten Tomatoes, the film stands at 95% on the ‘tomatometer’, meaning it’s one of the highest-rated romcoms of the decade so far.
That also makes it one of the best-reviewed movies of the entire year, in addition to its record score for the genre itself, as only two other films released in 2026 have retained scores higher than it – thrilling Hong Kong action film, The Furious, with a score of 98%, and the uniquely hilarious Olivia Wilde directed and starring, The Invite, with a score of 97%.
Unfortunately, box office projections for Finding Emily are pretty low for the weekend over in the US, as it has to contend with continuing big-hitters like Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey.
But it says a lot that this fun-filled original romcom set in our incredible city is more critically acclaimed than those two blockbusters based on existing IP.
Critics say Finding Emily ‘makes a tried-and-true formula feel brand new’, and to us, that’s about as good as you can get.
Finding Emily is no longer in UK cinemas, so if you would like to check it out, you can currently buy or rent the film on Amazon Prime UK, the Sky Store, or the Virgin Media Store.
Race Across The World star Jo Gardiner dies just one year after co-star son
Daisy Jackson
A Race Across The World star from Manchester has died just one year after her son and co-star tragically passed away.
Jo Gardiner, who starred on the hit BBC series back in 2020, died after a ‘long and courageous battle’ with cancer, her family has said.
The 61-year-old physiotherapist appeared on the second season of the travel competition, racing across Latin America with her son Sam Gardiner, who was just 19 at the time.
The pair became a fan favourite as they bonded over their travels, and Sam gained confidence to explore despite his ADHD.
Tragically, Sam passed away last May at the age of 24, following a vehicle collision in Gatley.
Paying tribute to Jo, Studio Lambert and the BBC described her as ‘the matriarch of the Race Across The World cast family’.
In the tribute, they also sent ‘deepest and heartfelt sympathies to Jo’s son Charlie’.
Jo’s family shared in a statement: “She had a rare gift for making everyone around her feel more alive. She lived fully, fiercely and never did anything by halves.
“She was blessed with countless friends, drawn to her extraordinary magnetism. Somehow, each one felt as though they were among her very best.
Jo Gardiner, from Manchester, starred on season two of Race Across The World. Credit: BBC
“To us, she was more than all of these things. She was our family, our joy, our safe place and our absolute treasure.
“We know how deeply Jo was loved, and we take comfort in knowing that her laughter, her courage, her kindness and her wonderfully outrageous spirit will live on in the many people whose lives she touched.
“As we grieve, we ask for privacy, but we also ask everyone who knew and loved Jo to do exactly what she would have wanted: tell the funny stories, raise a glass, have an adventure, laugh loudly and live life to the full.”
Studio Lambert and the BBC shared: “On behalf of the Studio Lambert production team, the BBC and the whole Race Across The World cast, we offer our deepest and heartfelt sympathies to Jo’s son Charlie, and her wider family and friends.
“Following the tragic death of Jo’s son Sam last year, we paid tribute to how integral Sam and Jo had been to series two. Millions of people remembered their transformative journey across Latin America in 2020 and we hold that memory in our hearts as we fondly recall Jo’s passion for life, her kindness, her strength, and above all her utter devotion to Sam and her family.
“At the time of filming, Sam described his mum as amazing – and that is how we will always remember her.
“Jo became the matriarch of the Race Across the World cast family, she leaves a lasting legacy in the many lives that she touched, both through the series and beyond. It was a privilege to share her story and she will be deeply missed.”
The Manc -
10th June 2021 
