Fleur East captured hearts with her energetic Samba and stunning hairdos during her time on Strictly Come Dancing. Fast forward a few years, and she has become a beloved figure on It Takes Two. Now, Fleur is making waves again by launching her natural hair care line, Kurl Kitchen, alongside her sister Keshia.
Reflecting on her Strictly journey, Fleur recalls her unique experience as a woman of color on a show predominantly featuring European hair types. To her surprise, she received her own personal hair stylist right from the start. “How inclusive was that?” she remarked, especially during Black History Month in October.
Fleur’s time on the dance floor allowed her to fulfill a childhood dream of embodying Ariel from The Little Mermaid, with her gorgeous red locks cascading down her back as she danced the American Smooth with partner Vito. “Strictly was really cool. I was introduced to my hairdresser, Um’Unique, right away. I felt comforted,” she told South London Press Showbiz.
As a devoted mother to her daughter Nova, Fleur praised the hair team: “Lisa Davey was head of hair and understood all hair types. Um’Unique worked with my hair, and we created some amazing looks. One of my highlights was Movie Week when I got to be Ariel. She made this incredible red dreadlock wig with crochet locks. It was amazing.”
Fleur expressed pride in representing Black culture on such a prominent platform: “Rocking these locks on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing was a big deal for me. Playing ‘Black Ariel’ meant so much, and it felt very inclusive. I loved it.”
Now, with her new hair care range, Fleur aims to spread positivity and encourage fans to embrace their natural hair at home. Is this Britain’s answer to Beyoncé’s hair care line?
Fleur shared, “How funny! When we released Kurl Kitchen in June after four years of development, we went to Ghana to formulate the range. We included ingredients like wild yam, okra, and black soap shampoo. We wanted to reflect what we grew up eating.”
After launching Kurl Kitchen, Fleur noted a timely coincidence: “Then boom! Beyoncé released her Sacred line, and shortly after, Rihanna launched hers. It’s brilliant that people recognize this is a huge market and it’s needed.”
Fleur also recounted her journey to embracing her natural curls. The X Factor star admitted, “It took me so long to embrace it. For many years, I straightened my hair and tucked it away. I didn’t see it as something to celebrate. One day, after swimming, my friends saw my natural curls and were amazed. They asked, ‘Why do you do anything to it?’ That was a turning point for me when I realized my curls were cool.”
Her late father played a crucial role in her acceptance of her natural hair. She recalled, “He always said, ‘What is wrong with you? You don’t know what you have. You need to embrace it.’ So, I have ever since.”
Fleur is also a passionate advocate for hair equality. She has even spoken about it in Parliament, emphasizing, “I strongly believe that everyone should be treated equally, no matter how their hair grows. It’s ridiculous to be judged or treated unfairly because of hair type. Our hair should not impact our life’s plans. The twists and turns of our coils shouldn’t negatively shape our paths. Our value should not be determined by our hair but by the depth of our character.”
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