Episode 2 Do or Dye - Hair Academy

Hairdressing is a glamorous industry...

Unless you're bleeding from every orifice, you can't be off sick.

..but it's also a competitive one,

with more than 10,000 hairdressers in Scotland,

where the top stylists can earn over £70,000 a year.

Award-winning hairdressers Rainbow Room International run

Scotland's biggest training academy.

I've sent them home for having bad fake tan or

when their make-up is not done properly.

I went for more of a natural kind of look.

Where they play just as hard as they work.

It's like a big, dysfunctional family.

Ahem, that's exactly what it's like.

For one year, we follow students through their basic

hairdressing qualification Level 2.

I can do that, you know what I mean?

And I could just get nervous on the day.

And others in their second year Level 3 advanced qualification.

My ambition is to be one of the best.

You've got to be on it. Like, see, if you're not on it one day,

like, honestly, you're screwed, you're literally screwed.

But do they have what it takes to make it through the hair academy?

-You're probably a better hairdresser than...

-Everybody.

-Aye.

Coming up... Halloween and the students are judged

on some alternative cutting techniques.

Oops!

Binky gets to experience the more glamorous side of hairdressing.

Noel Gallagher is right behind me. The best person ever.

Oh! I do not have words.

And one student gets on the wrong side of Leigh.

We don't always like what a client brings in, but you have to do it.

We're going to have words.

Here at Rainbow Room Academy, we're pretty busy.

We've got lots of milestones to meet,

they've got lots of practical work to do,

so the place is going to be pretty noisy for the next month or so.

Here's your brush to brush it around your hand, OK?

I love this time of year, there is a real buzz about the salon.

You've got Halloween and then you've got the run up to Christmas,

so lots of stuff going on.

It's three months since the last in-take of students

and teacher Tara gets to grips with how everyone's progressing.

What I want you to do first of all is take a minute each to

write up what you have got left to do. It just means that

when clients come in today, we know who's going to be best suited

to carry out whatever it is the client's looking to have done.

A few months into their training,

you're trying to encourage them to be a little bit more responsible,

they have to realise that they're not in school anymore,

it's very much a work environment and, although they're trainees,

they have to try and adapt quickly to that.

The transition from everything being laid out

and set for them in their day

to starting to use that little bit

of initiative for themselves, it's a big...it's a big jump.

At the academy, the students also have to be ready to style

and cut the hair on any walk-in clients.

Can you sit right back for me?

Level 2 assistant Angel is hoping her second attempt at a one-length

hair cut will be successful.

-Have you always wanted to be a hairdresser?

-Yeah.

Always. Always, always, always.

Do you know what I used to do, right?

See my gran, right, she had two dogs,

I used to sit and put rollers and blow dry their hair, and it was dogs.

That was mental.

Assessing Angel today is teacher and stylist Ava.

How are you getting on?

I'm still alive, so that's the main thing.

This is the first time that Angel has attempted this haircut

standing up, and something that Ava will be monitoring.

It is difficult your first time doing it, especially if you've

been trained to do it sitting down, but you have to gather

lots of experience and lots of different body positions

on how to cut hair.

Do you think we could just cut it a little bit shorter?

-Cos... Just, like, a little bit.

-I haven't done the side bits yet.

-OK.

-So I'll go and do the side bits, OK?

But just as Angel is about to finish her assessment,

it all goes wrong.

I'm just stressing out.

I can't breathe.

I don't know why, I'm just stressing out about it.

And my one length out there is shocking,

like, I'm just, like, pure disappointed with myself

cos it's pure crap.

-Do you get told to sit down when you're doing a one length?

-Mm-hm.

Thank you. Oh, my.

Unfortunately, teacher Ava has to help Angel.

I just straightened the fringe again, OK?

Which means that she'll have to try again

to pass off her one-length hair cut.

I think she just got a bit stressed

and over thought it a wee bit as well.

I'm pure disappointed in myself,

so that's all.

I want to get to this happy place.

Oh, God. Cos I can do that, you know what I mean?

And I could just get nervous on the day, that's what happens.

The outcome was good.

The mother was really happy and the daughter looked really

pleased with her haircut as well so I think she's OK now.

Depressed, depressed, depressed... Aww...

Yeah, yeah, go for it.

After a few months of working closely together, the students

have started to get used to the social side of hairdressing.

We're a really close group of friends.

I don't know, I think it's just,

like, we've been around each other every Wednesday.

Me and Austin, like, clicked, like, just like that.

We've eventually become quite close.

-That's right.

-We'll talk about that later.

We're both kind of... I'm dead loud and like to jump about

and all that, and so is Austin.

Austin has got love bites.

Fae yesterday.

Aww, that's so funny.

Everybody gets along and we've been out on a few nights out,

which have ended well.

So, has there been any romance amongst the students?

Definitely no. There are no potential relationships.

Have I had problems with students dating students or clients?

And the answer is yes to both.

I've got my own partner, so I just like

to keep it to myself and I just don't like it at all.

You have my heart, Kirsty.

I'm, like, a single Pringle that's not ready to mingle.

I don't think I'm ready for that yet.

I don't want to feel uncomfortable in my staff room because I walk in

and somebody is having a wee kiss and a winch, which has happened.

It's never really been a problem in my salon.

I'm the dad. I'm the last to know.

I think we need more attractive guys working with us cos I work with

my best friend, but unfortunately, he's playing for the other team.

I'm in a class full of girls and that is really...

that's not my cut of tea.

We had a boy and girl

who went out for a while,

from assistant level, but not with clients, do you know that?

We're not a dating service.

MUSIC: Thriller by Michael Jackson

Every year, the staff at Crow Road

and Great Western Road

get a little bit carried away with Halloween.

All the team spend ages planning their outfits

and we've always go kind of scary music on and stuff.

There's also pumpkin carving - a competition between assistants,

which I'm going to judge later on as well.

-I've done it wrong already.

-So have I.

So, yeah, I like to do it every year. Take it quite seriously.

I look like a panda, I look like a panda ghoul.

SHE LAUGHS

Assistants Sophie, Misha

and Jodie Lee have swapped their scissors for knives as they carve

their pumpkins and try and match the high standard already set by John.

It smells.

This is pure far down.

Smells like sweaty socks or something, uch.

I think I've done this wrong.

Whoops.

Over at Crow Road, they've decided to let the customers

judge their pumpkins.

To be honest, I'm going to say -

first,

second and third for that one.

-Yes.

-Right, OK. Third, second and first.

Aww, you didn't even pick mine? Aww.

Secretly, the competition has been between Crow Road salon

and Great Western Road salon. And, as I'm sure you can see,

the quality of pumpkins that we've created, that we can actually cut

pumpkins, and possibly hair, better than the guys at Great Western Road.

Back in Great Western Road, Sophie, Misha and Jodie Leigh

have decided on a slightly different style of pumpkin.

Look, I'm just going to make mine look sick.

I want mine to be sick now. Right, that's me done now.

I think I done all right...for a first attempt.

-Ah, look at the eyes.

-What's up with them?

-And a wee round nose.

-It's not even round.

With the final touches applied, it's time for John to judge the pumpkins.

Right.

I think I done all right.

I think yous all did brilliant. I actually think the best thing

is the fact these have all got ears.

I've never seen a pumpkin with ears in my life.

I'm sorry. Yes, well done.

That one... It looks like he's actually in pain and spewing up.

-That was me.

-Is it? Winner.

Champion pumpkin, here you are.

One of the salon issues the staff need to keep on top of

is the students' use of mobile phones.

You can use it on your breaks or your lunch hour,

but other than that, they've to be completely switched off.

Oh, my God, let me snapshot my back. Right, how do I do this?

Just back.

So if anyone in the workplace is caught with a phone on them

during the working hours, then they will get a warning.

So you're showing good potential already.

-You've also been doing cuts as well, ain't you?

-And lots of dyes.

-MOBILE PHONE RINGS

-Ah!

Go and put it in the locker, you know the rules.

Yeah, sorry. It was my mum.

Was that your mum? Aye.

Right, that's your first strike,

three strikes and I'll need to reprimand you.

But it's not just the students use of mobile phones the directors

have to monitor, it's also how they use social medial.

The most annoying thing is just them checking them all the time.

You know, it just gets in the way of work.

I'm taking a picture. I hate taking snapshots of it, like...

Following a recent incident in the Ayr salon,

director Riccardo calls a meeting.

Twitter, Facebook and social media in general,

if you've got the time to be saying that you can't wait to get

finished or there's only a few clients to go and it's time

to get home, then just go home, right?

Go home, don't come back.

Also for your own self. That's out there, people are seeing that.

People are making a judgment on you as a stylist,

on you as an assistant on that information.

So how excited are they going to be about you doing their colour

if you're telling the world that you cannae be bothered,

waiting till you get home?

So it's not on

and I don't want anything like that online.

OK? Do we understand?

-Louder?

-ALL: Yeah.

Right, OK, serious bit over.

Right, let's go. Thanks.

Riccardo, who has been a Rainbow Room hairdresser for 24 years and

has owned the Ayr salon since 2004, has just taken on a new assistant,

Callan.

Would you like to have a treatment today or would you like

to stick with the must?

I think I'll go with the regular today.

Callan's start has been pretty extraordinary,

really, you know, from not knowing that we was going to have

a career in hairdressing on the Tuesday to having

a trial on the Wednesday and being on the floor on Saturday.

He's jumped into it.

How was that for you?

Great. Lovely.

All right, so what we'll do is we'll take you over

and get that washed, OK?

If you'd like to follow me over to the back.

The most exciting thing for me is he just doesn't say no,

and he'll just look at you and go, "All right, OK.

"What's expected of me and what should I wear?"

Which is pretty much the two correct answers

if you're going to get into hairdressing.

Every year Riccardo and the team at Ayr help out at the local

school, Kyle Academy, by doing the pupils hair for their fashion show.

70, 80 girls all hyped up after school can be a bit mental,

but we manage.

We've been doing it every year, so getting used to it now.

Callan is a former pupil of Kyle Academy.

Having left only a couple of months ago, he's back at his old

school to style the hair of his former classmates -

something he's finding a little bit strange.

I was always quite quiet at school.

It's quite weird, actually, seeing everybody again

because I've spent eight weeks away from everyone,

like I've worked almost every day since then.

The good thing is that some of the guys aren't going on

at the start. The show starts

and you're still doing a bit of hair, you know? So...

it'll be fine.

Hello and welcome to Kyle Academy fashion show.

It's a playsuit that's got a diamante mark,

-so it kind of needs to be up.

-A wee bit up, right?

-Yeah.

New students typically spend three months getting used to basic

salon practices before starting at the academy, but Callan

started his training after only three weeks,

and is finding it a challenge.

It's been really weird cos everybody at the academy is really far ahead

of me and I'm still struggling to use straighteners. And it's just really

difficult to keep up with them, but I'm trying my hardest.

It's been a challenge, but I'm really enjoying it.

After a whirlwind of hair styling,

the finish line is in sight for Riccardo and the team.

You're doing 60, 70 people's hair in the time that you would

normally do two, so it's a slightly pressured situation.

Thank you very much, everyone.

Amazing as usual. As usual. It's not a shocker for me, you know,

I've seen them do it a million times,

but naw, they were great.

At the academy, Angel is busy helping Misha put foils on

another walk-in client.

-Then you have, like, salon names, so...

-Oh, right!

Yeah. I just got given mine.

Angel, so... People were like, "You look like a wee angel."

I was like, "Wait till you get to know me." Naw, I'm kidding.

Angel, whose real name is Tara, is following in her family's

footsteps by training to become a hairdresser.

From the day she was born, Tara has always wanted to

be into hairdressing.

My mum and her sisters were all hairdressers,

Myself, I would go to school

with a different hairstyle cos my mum would practice on me,

so it's no different now.

I think my mum is just happy that she's kind of got me

and my brother both just kind of set in stone as to what we're doing,

do you know what I mean?

I drive her down to the train in the morning and

the eyelashes are sitting on the dash and they're put on in transit.

But I'll tell you, by the time she's on the train, she is then Angel.

Angel is also involved with a local dance group who have a big showcase

coming up in her home town of Alloa.

And typically, she has volunteered to do the hair for all the dancers,

as well as dancing herself.

A week tonight, you'll be doing this in front of 500 people,

so if I was you, I would up it a little bit.

It's a wee bit boring, OK? Go for it.

I'm just trying to learn my dance

but I'm sweating right now. I'm sweating.

There's a week to go

and this one, I don't feel like it's ready to go on stage yet.

-Now, are you going to do hair as well?

-Uh-huh, yeah.

-Are you going to have time to do that?

-Yeah, I'll have time.

-You sure?

-Uh-huh. I'll be running on stage!

-Added pressure!

She is very confident. She's always laughing,

always joking. She's just such a happy wee sausage.

For Level 3 assistant Connor,

hairdressing is a very rewarding profession.

A lot of people feel that they're not attractive or whatever.

I love the fact that when you're doing someone's hair,

you're making them feel better with a different haircut or colour

or style or something different.

Connor is based in the Crow Road salon along with teacher Nick.

I love Connor. He's got a really, really natural ability,

a really good eye for style as well.

Teaching him is a joy. He seems to just pick up things really quickly.

Connor is coming towards the end of his Level 3.

Don't you worry about that, my friend.

And has found the training an enjoyable process.

I do like coming into the academy

because you're with other assistants that you don't really see

usually, everyone's really friendly and we have kind of banter together.

I've got really good eyesight, just my eyes are shaped funny.

-I have a rugby-ball shaped eyes.

-You do!

Damn rugby-shaped eyes!

Connor is about to sit his final test as a Level 3 assistant.

If he passes, he'll spend three months at the academy

and then be kept on full-time as a stylist at the Crow Road salon.

You'll be awesome.

I'm feeling a wee bit nervous, but I'm all right.

Just need to do it, I suppose.

It's not a nerve-racking as you think it's going to be, really.

-Once it starts, I'll be fine.

-They wouldn't put you through it

if they didn't think you could do it.

Along with Connor, four other students

will also be assessed by Leigh.

Your test will be split into two different parts.

One of them will be a cut and colour,

so I want you to use creative colouring techniques.

I want to see more than one technique.

Second part is a hair-up, and I want you to recreate any hair-up

out of that magazine. So this is your time, really, to shine

and to show me what you're made of.

I need you finished, tidied up by quarter to five.

I'm thinking a long bob, but I don't want it to be like...

-Everybody sounds like they're doing a bob.

-Don't go a safe bob.

-She doesn't really like safe.

-No?

-No.

Helping Leigh with the assessment is stylist and teacher Julianne.

Hey, guys, how yous getting on?

-Are you OK?

-Yeah.

So once your colour is on, make sure your hair-up is done.

OK?

-Yous three on your hair-ups already?

-Yep.

In the classroom, salon director Dylan has some good

news for students Laurie, Binky and Syd.

Yous three guys have been picked to go to the Scottish Style Awards.

The Scottish Style Awards are one of the biggest

shows in Scotland for music and fashion.

They're going to have a host of celebrities there,

like Noel Gallagher and his wife, Sarah. And you guys are going

to actually be helping the art team and working on the hair. How's that?

-Sounds amazing.

-That sounds good, yeah? That'll be a good day then.

It's completely different from everything that's in the salon

so it'll be good to see how a catwalk works.

It'll be pure, it'll be crazy.

I'm pure buzzing, I cannae stop.

Well, listen, guys, high-five?

On the salon floor, Connor's test is almost over.

If you had a wee hairpiece, you could add that in, make that wider.

And even Rainbow Room owner Alan is taking an interest.

Watch your shape.

If you make that too narrow, you're going to make her face look

really long.

With the time up, Leigh comes back to assess the cut and colour

and the hair-up test.

-Is this Kenny's?

-Yeah.

-Was that your first one?

-Yeah.

But it seems that Kenny hasn't quite followed the instructions.

Kenny, the specific instructions were,

"Find a hair-up and copy the picture. Specifically."

-I like this.

-I don't care!

You don't always like what a client brings in,

but you have to do it. That is no use to me or this test, none.

Right, come on, hurry up.

-SHE SIGHS

-We are going to have words.

Having dealt with Kenny, Leigh moves on to Connor.

Fringe is lovely.

Right, Connor. Do you want to explain your haircut?

At first, I was going to do just a one-length bob,

but then... So I just cut a sharp edge on it.

Fringe has got a nice wee

-curve shape on it.

-Yeah, the fringe has a nice curve.

And that's really hard to get, especially on a sally head.

Next, she assesses Connor's hair-up.

Well done. Why did you pick this picture?

I just wanted to incorporate a roll into it and I see that one,

and I've been practising rolls, so I thought, "I'll do that one."

But has Connor done enough to be kept on as a full-time as a stylist?

You three are here with me just now,

so I can go through it with yous over the next couple of days

and you two, I'll go through your portfolios with you

on Tuesday morning.

But you're coming here full-time. Well done.

Connor will spend three months at the academy before starting

full-time at the Crow Road salon.

Getting kept on is just an indescribable feeling,

it's really good, it's overwhelming.

Angel's big dance night has arrived. And to help her style the dancers'

hair, she has brought along friends and fellow students Alijah

and Bella.

-Have yous come to get your hair done?

-Jamming.

Put another Kirby in.

And you can just put that up in a wee bobble.

Oh, my God, this is so funny, I've not even went over

any of my dances and I have to go on stage.

I've never done a show where they've all had their hair the exact same.

If I could afford that,

I would get hairdressers in all the time.

They look lovely.

Well, Angel pie is getting really stressed out,

I'm supposed to be dancing right now, but that's just bamboozled

cos this needs to be done.

With the opening dance fast approaching,

Angel's been so busy doing the girls' hair,

she hasn't had time for the final rehearsal.

Good evening, ladies and gents. There is no flash photography or

video camera-ing of the show tonight. If you're caught doing so,

you'll be thrown out by the bouncers, OK?

Please sit back and enjoy the show.

Oh, my God, I think that's me. OK, so...love yous and leave yous.

-Wish me luck. GIRLS:

-Good luck!

You're going to be really good.

MUSIC: Bang Bang by Will.I.Am

So my mum, she's pure like... And I was... Aw!

Doing it, it was a lot of fun. Oh, my God. But it was funny.

I'm on again and I'm pure stressing out.

It's fun, though. I'm enjoying it, do you know what I mean?

I'm enjoying it. My pleat stayed in, so it's all good.

That's the main issue - hair.

Time to go.

MUSIC: Firework by Kerry Perry

That was fab.

I was stressing out about doing that cos I kept seeing you going...

And I was like...

I really enjoyed it. It was good fun. I loved it.

Give us a huggle.

-Oh, can I get a hug?

-No, of course not(!)

-We could have a group hug.

-Group hug!

You were fab.

Students Laurie, Binky and Syd are helping out the art team

backstage at the Scottish Style Awards.

Today, what you're going to be doing is prepping all the hair.

We'll do, like, a quick demonstration

and we'll show you exactly what we want.

-So we're going to have a good time, anyway.

-Have fun.

It'll be really good fun. So...high five?

-Are you getting on OK, Syd?

-Yeah.

But just as the students get into their stride, there's a setback.

The lecky's gone. The electricity has gone again.

The man was just basically topping up on his power card,

so we've got an extra £5 worth of electricity

so that should get us through the blow drying stage.

As the students keep working,

Dylan joins Rainbow Room owner Linda on the red carpet.

Over here, Linda. Yep.

Tonight, I'll be giving out one of the awards, it's quite an honour.

I just love the fashion,

love the hair and love the whole ambience.

After working hard all day, Binky takes a quick break to try

and catch a glimpse of one of her heroes.

Noel Gallagher is right behind me.

Oh, my God. That is, like, an actual dream.

He's, like, the best person ever. My heart is actually going.

I do not have words, I do not have words.

I'm pure shaking.

With the catwalk about to start,

the students complete the finishing touches on their models' hair.

Have yous had a run through and things?

Yeah, we went through the run through like an hour ago or

something like that but I think everyone is ready.

-There you are, I think that is you.

-Fab. Thank you.

I think it's great for the kids from the academy to come and see

stuff like this, but it's something that they aspire to do,

something that they want to be a part of. It's amazing for them.

So today, they were a bit kind of blown away. They've seen celebrities,

they got to actually prep the models' hair.

They were amazing, amazing. They've done a great job.

Next time...

-Are we ready to rock the house?

-ALL: Yes!

While the students compete for Assistant of the Year...

We'll see if I get through or not. Agghh!

..for one student, it could be game over.

It's not something that I'm going to let get in my way,

I'll fight against it.