BREAKING NEWSTrevor Sorbie dies aged 75: Celebrity hairdresser passes away after battle with bowel cancer - weeks after appearing on This Morning

Celebrity hairdresser Trevor Sorbie has died aged 75 after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.

The Scottish-born stylist, who gained fame with the creation of the wedge cut, revealed last month he had weeks to live after his bowel cancer spread to his liver.

Sorbie, who spoke about his condition on ITVs This Morning, was known for cutting the hair of celebrities such as Grace Jones, The Beach Boys and Dame Helen Mirren.

A post on his hair salons social media accounts said: It is with heartfelt emotion that we share the passing of our esteemed founder, Trevor Sorbie.

Trevor passed away peacefully with his family and beloved dog by his side.

Trevors journey, marked by unparalleled creativity and kindness, has left an indelible mark on the world of hairdressing and beyond.

From pioneering The Wedge five decades ago to establishing our first salon in 1979, Trevors vision set new standards and continues to inspire generations.

Celebrity hairdresser Trevor Sorbie, pictured on ITVs This Morning on October 9

Trevor Sorbie appears alongside his wife Carole Sorbie on ITVs This Morning on October 9

As we commemorate 45 years of Trevor Sorbie salons, we remain steadfast in upholding the passion, artistry, and dedication that he embodied.

Trevor often reminded us to be bold, be different, but always do everything in good taste.

His ethos of kindness, care, and excellence continues to guide us. He expressed immense pride in our team and confidence in our commitment to carrying forward his legacy.

The award-winning stylist previously set up the charity, My New Hair, to provide public advice and support a national network of independent salons and professionals who provide a wig styling service for people suffering from cancer and medical hair loss.

A statement also said: Honouring Trevors wishes, there will be no funeral. In lieu of flowers, we invite you to support four charities: Marie Curie, Cancer Research UK, Rowans Hospice and My New Hair, all close to his heart.

We also plan to celebrate his remarkable life and contributions with a special event next year and will share details in due course.

Born in Paisley, Scotland, on March 13, 1949, his family later moved to England where Sorbie was bullied at school, leading him to drop out as a teenager when he began as an apprentice in his fathers barber shop.

In 1979 he opened the first Trevor Sorbie salon in Covent Garden, London, with the company going on to open locations in Brighton, Bristol, Hampstead, Manchester and Richmond.

Sorbie was a four-time British Hairdresser of the Year winner and his methods helped to transform the world of hairdressing through trend-setting styles such as the wolf man, sculpture, and the wave - and a fast-drying process called the scrunch.

He garnered increased public attention thanks to various broadcast appearances including This Morning, The Wright Stuff, GMTV and Mary Queen Of Shops.

He also appeared on Channel 4 programme Faking It, where a professional would show a novice how to excel in their field, as a mentor along with TV chef Gordon Ramsay.

Trevor Sorbie, photographed at his salon on Floral Street in Londons Covent Garden in 2009

Despite numerous awards and styling the hair of Chris Tarrant, Chesney Hawkes, and Olympic skaters Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, Sorbie said his biggest accolade was being made an MBE by Queen Elizbeth II in 2004.

Sorbie began volunteering at Princess Alice Hospice in Esher, Surrey, after beginning to step back from the salon floor in 2006.

He told The Times it really unnerved him when he was asked to cut the wig of a patient for her wedding, but told she might die before then.

She died the next day, but as I shut the door (after cutting her wig), I remember thinking for the first time in my life, Im not just a hairdresser, I feel special, he recalled.

In 2009, he began to focus his efforts on his charity, My New Hair, which gives advice to patients and NHS staff on wig styling, hair loss and re-growth after treatment.

Trevor Sorbie with TV presenter Lorraine Kelly at the Pantene Pro-V Awards in London in 2006

It was my personal experience of helping a family member during cancer treatment that inspired the idea of My New Hair, he said in a statement on the charitys website.

In 2018, he launched a free wig customisation service for NHS patients who have experienced medical hair loss, including those undergoing chemotherapy, at his home through My New Hair.

A year later, he revealed to BBC Radio 4s Desert Island Discs he was seeking to retire, but would continue to cut wigs for people who had lost their hair.

Later, Tom Connell, international artistic director, headed up the business as Sorbie focused on his charity.

Sorbie also told the Sunday radio show that he had been going through depression and anxiety for much of his life.

Trevor Sorbie, pictured at Harrods, was a four-time British Hairdresser of the Year winner 

He recalled how kiss-and-tell coverage of him during the mid-2000s drove him to consider taking his life, and help came through getting a pet.

Sorbie said: I read this article years ago and they said that anyone suffering with anxiety and depression, the best medicine is a dog.

So I went and got a dog and you know what? Its right. Its so good for me, that little boy.

I have to go out for an hour walking and I absolutely adore this little boy.

He was later diagnosed with bowel cancer, and revealed the extent of his condition last month during an appearance on ITVs This Morning.

Trevor Sorbie, pictured in 1994, opened the first Trevor Sorbie salon in London in 1979

He said he was told in June 2024 that he had maybe six months to live, after the cancer spread to his liver and undergoing a six-and-a-half-hour operation to remove sections of it.

Sorbie said that his surgeon would no longer operate as it was too close to a major blood vessel.

He also said he would spend the time he had left with his wife, Carole, and loved ones.

Sorbie also created training manuals for the industry including the 2005 Bridal Hair Book, and 1998s Visions In Hair, and in 2023 the Fellowship for British Hairdressing launched a prize in his name, called the Trevor Sorbie Award for creative and commercial innovation.