Celebrity hairstylist Trevor Sorbie made an emotional appearance on This Morning, where he shared the devastating news of his terminal bowel cancer diagnosis with hosts Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley. The 75 year old, who has had an illustrious five-decade career, revealed that he has only weeks to live.
Trevor, who has styled the hair of numerous high-profile clients including the Queen and Helen Mirren, explained that his ordeal began when he experienced severe blood loss, prompting him to visit the doctor. He recounted: “I lost a lot of blood one night and was unusually disturbed so went to hospital. They told me I had bowel cancer and I had a little panic attack. I looked at Carole [his wife] and she looked at me, we were both speechless, didn’t know what to say. So I went and had a big gin and tonic.”
His wife Carole continued, fighting back tears: “It then spread to his liver and he had a six and a half hour operation, he came back and he had another six and a half hour operation.”
Trevor, a four-time British Hairdresser of the Year winner and MBE recipient, has faced a long and challenging battle with cancer, having previously spoken about enduring “five cancers in three years” and the debilitating side effects of his treatment, including chemotherapy, which has left him with no feeling in his fingers, reports OK!.
In a heartfelt 2023 reveal, the A-list stylist disclosed his diagnosis: “When you do hair, you feel the hair it’s the material that you feel, the quality of it, the thickness, the curl, and I can’t do that any more. But I go around and say, ‘Excuse me, madam,’ and I start talking to them. We have such friendly chats.”
Leaving school at just 15 to flee bullying, Trevor forged a new path starting at his father’s barbershop in Paisley. His journey took him to hairdressing college in London, followed by climbing the ranks in the hairdressing world and eventually opening his own salon.
His trendsetting creations, such as the wedge, the wolf man and the scrunch, became cultural touchstones during the 70s and 80s. Trevor, as a result, garnered an illustrious celebrity clientele including names like Paul McCartney and Vivienne Westwood.
Beyond styling, he became a familiar face on television and amassed a substantial fortune from his bespoke range of haircare products.