Sunderland hairdresser celebrates success after placing in top 10 of Apprentice of the Year

Jude Taylor, from Roker, in Sunderland is celebrating his success after fending off competition across the country to place 10th in the UK Hair and Beauty Awards 2022 for Apprentice of the Year.

The young hairdresser, who works at Junkyard Creative Studios, in Newcastle, started his apprentice in 2019, before the salon closed due to the national lockdown.

Jude said he was “surprised” and over the moon when he found out the results.

He said: “I’ve always been quite creative and artistic and then after I finished school I was looking to do an apprenticeship but I didn’t know what in and then I fell upon hairdressing.

"It’s been absolutely great, everyday I can be creative and artistic.”

The final of the competition was held virtually earlier this but Jude will attend the 2023 final in person after he placed as a finalist for 2023.

He said: “I was really surprised, and because the awards were held online, I just put it on in the background and pottered around the house – I wasn’t really expecting anything from it.

"The top 50 came on and my name wasn’t in that line up so I thought never mind, but then the top 10 came on and I saw my name and said that can’t be right!

"I wasn’t really expecting it at all, so I was surprised but when it sank in, I thought that’s really good, I’m proud of myself.”

Jude’s work can be viewed on his Instagram here.