Introduction
Chris Appleton is the hairstylist behind some of the most photographed looks in pop culture. Born in Leicester and working in a salon from his early teens, he went on to style Rita Ora, Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, Ariana Grande and Katy Perry, and he became a familiar face on The Kardashians. This year he brought that fame home, taking part in the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing with professional dancer Amy Dowden.
His private life has drawn almost as much attention as his work. He spent nine years with the mother of his two children, came out as gay in his twenties, and married actor Lukas Gage in 2023 before the couple divorced. Those chapters explain why people search for “Chris Appleton wife”, “Chris Appleton ex wife” and “Chris Appleton husband”, and why the answers online are often muddled.
This biography sets out the facts from reliable sources, using his own words where possible, and covers his age, early life, career, relationships, children, Strictly experience and the truth about his net worth.
Contents
Chris Appleton Quick Bio
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Christopher David Appleton |
| Known as | Chris Appleton |
| Date of birth | 14 June 1983 |
| Age | 43 |
| Birthplace | Leicester, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Parents | Jane and David Appleton |
| Siblings | Third of five children |
| Profession | Celebrity hairstylist, TV personality, author |
| First salon job | Aged 13, in Leicester |
| Famous clients | Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, Rita Ora, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, Britney Spears |
| Brand role | Creative director, Color Wow |
| Book | Your Roots Don’t Define You (January 2026) |
| Sexuality | Gay (came out at 26) |
| Former husband | Lukas Gage (married 2023, divorced 2024) |
| Former long-term partner | Katie Katon (together about nine years, never married) |
| Wife | None |
| Children | Two |
| Strictly Come Dancing | Series 24, partnered with Amy Dowden |
| Current partner | Not publicly confirmed |
| Net worth | Not publicly confirmed |
Chris Appleton Age and Early Life
Chris Appleton was born on 14 June 1983 in Leicester, which makes him 43. He is the third of five children born to Jane and David Appleton, and he has said that his fascination with hair started at home, styling his mother’s hair as a young boy.
He did not wait long to turn that interest into a job. At 13 he started work in a salon in his home city, learning the trade from the stylists around him. On his time off he commuted to London to assist artists on set, took classes and later earned a qualification in hair colouring. He is dyslexic, and the hands-on world of the salon gave him a place where his talent could shine.
He also became a father young. He met his former partner Katie Katon as a teenager, and he was 19 when the first of their two children was born.
Career: From Leicester Salon to Hollywood
Chris Appleton’s career is a story of steady graft followed by a rapid rise. After years working in the UK, he moved into London’s fashion and editorial scene, where his colour and styling work began appearing in magazines including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Marie Claire, Grazia and L’Officiel.
Rita Ora and the first celebrity break
His first major celebrity client was Rita Ora. After one appointment she booked him for campaigns, red carpet events and her tour, and that exposure introduced his work to the wider music industry. The bold, glossy styles he created with Ora became something of a calling card.
Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian and the move to Los Angeles
Working with Jennifer Lopez opened the door to an international career and eventually led him to relocate to Los Angeles. There he became the go-to stylist for Kim Kardashian and other members of the Kardashian family, creating the sleek, ultra-long looks and sharp bobs that dominated social media feeds. His client list also grew to include Britney Spears, Sofía Vergara, Katy Perry, Dua Lipa and Ariana Grande, and he is credited with developing Grande’s famous high ponytail.
Television, Color Wow and his book
His friendships with clients turned him into a TV personality in his own right. He has been a recurring face on The Kardashians since 2022, as well as The Drew Barrymore Show and NBC’s Today, and he has appeared on The Wendy Williams Show, Access Hollywood, Selling Sunset and Tamron Hall. Away from the camera, he is creative director of the haircare brand Color Wow.
In January he published his first book, Your Roots Don’t Define You, with a foreword by Kris Jenner. The title sums up his message: that a working-class boy from Leicester who struggled at school could build a global career on talent, hard work and self-acceptance. The book appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list.
Chris Appleton Strictly Come Dancing
The BBC announced in June that Chris Appleton would take part in the 24th series of Strictly Come Dancing. He was the fourth celebrity revealed, and he said he was “thrilled to be joining Strictly Come Dancing and coming home to the UK for this incredible experience”. He also joked that while he knew his way around a salon floor, the dance floor was “a whole different story”.
He was paired with Welsh professional Amy Dowden, one of the show’s most popular dancers. In the first week they performed a tango, scoring 16 points and finishing 12th of 15 couples on the leaderboard. In Movie Week they danced a cha-cha to “I’ll Be Ready” from Baywatch.
The combined scores and public vote placed them in the bottom two, and on 4 October 2026 they faced a dance-off against actor Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu. Judges Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke chose to save Winstone and Gu, and head judge Craig Revel Horwood said he would have done the same. That made Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden the first couple to leave the series.
He took the exit with grace. He called the experience “a whirlwind of emotion”, said “I saw myself in a way I’ve never seen myself”, and added that he wished he had done better for Dowden “because she deserves to go further in the competition”. Dowden paid tribute to their bond on Instagram. His early departure also meant that his friend Kim Kardashian, who had been tipped to watch from the audience, did not make an appearance.
Is Chris Appleton Gay?
Yes. Chris Appleton is openly gay, and he has spoken about it many times in interviews. He came out at the age of 26, after spending about nine years with Katie Katon, the mother of his children.
He has been candid about how hard that period was. In a 2024 interview with People and Bethenny Frankel’s Just B podcast, he said: “I think coming out later on in life was incredibly difficult because I had two kids.” He has described feeling shame and fearing that he had let his family down, and he has said he rang Katon to apologise for the pain he had caused. He has also spoken about the mental health struggles that came with hiding who he was for so long. Today he uses his platform to talk about self-acceptance, which is a central theme of his book.
Chris Appleton Wife and Ex Wife: The Facts
Searches for “Chris Appleton wife” and “Chris Appleton ex wife” are common, but Chris Appleton has never had a wife. His long relationship with Katie Katon is often described online as a marriage, yet reliable reports, including People, refer to her as his former partner, and HollywoodLife states plainly that the couple were never married.
Appleton has spoken warmly about their time together. He has said: “We were together for nine years, had two kids and it was a magical nine years”, and “I really loved her. I didn’t want to be gay. I didn’t want to be different.” He has described Katon as “incredibly supportive” when he came out, and the two have remained close as parents.
Chris Appleton Husband: Marriage to Lukas Gage
Chris Appleton’s only marriage was to American actor Lukas Gage, known for The White Lotus and You. Their relationship was first reported in February 2023, and Appleton later said he was “very much in love”.
The couple married in April 2023 in a small ceremony in Las Vegas, with Kim Kardashian officiating and Shania Twain in attendance. The wedding was filmed for an episode of The Kardashians.
The marriage was short-lived. In November 2023, Appleton filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences, around six months after the wedding. The divorce was finalised in 2024. Both men have since spoken about the split in interviews, and Appleton has reflected on how quickly the relationship moved.
Chris Appleton Partner Now
In early 2024 US outlets reported that Appleton had been seen with Argentinian art dealer Federico Debernardi, citing photographs and an unnamed source. Appleton did not confirm that relationship publicly. More recent UK coverage describes him as understood to be single, and he has not announced a new partner. His current relationship status is therefore not publicly confirmed beyond that.
Chris Appleton Kids
Chris Appleton has two children, a son and a daughter, both now adults, from his relationship with Katie Katon. He became a father at 19. He has spoken about the difficulty of coming out to them and about once feeling that he had “failed as a dad” because he saw his job as protecting them, though he has since described a close and loving family relationship. Beyond what he has chosen to share, we do not publish further details about his children.
Is There a Chris Appleton Wikipedia Page?
Yes. Chris Appleton has an English Wikipedia page that covers his career, his television appearances, his Strictly Come Dancing run, his book and his personal life. Like many celebrity pages it changes often, so for this biography we have cross-checked its key facts against interviews and reports from People, PinkNews, Hello!, Heart and Attitude.
Chris Appleton Net Worth
There is no reliable, published figure for Chris Appleton’s net worth. Many websites quote a precise number, but none cite a verifiable source such as company accounts or an interview in which he discusses his wealth. What is clear is that his income comes from several streams: private celebrity clients, editorial and campaign work, his creative director role at Color Wow, television appearances and book sales. Until a credible source reports a figure, his net worth remains not publicly confirmed.
Latest News
After his Strictly exit, Chris Appleton spoke about how the show had challenged him and shared his gratitude to the production team and to Amy Dowden. He continues to style high-profile clients in Los Angeles and to work with Color Wow, while promoting his book and its message of self-acceptance. His appearance on the BBC’s biggest entertainment show introduced him to a whole new UK audience who may not have known the Leicester lad behind Kim Kardashian’s hair.
Conclusion
Chris Appleton’s story runs from a salon in Leicester at 13 to the red carpets of Hollywood and, most recently, the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom. His work with Rita Ora, Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian made him one of the world’s best-known hairstylists, and his book and TV appearances have turned him into a personality in his own right.
On his personal life, the facts are clear. He has never had a wife. He spent nine years with Katie Katon, the mother of his two children, came out as gay at 26, and was married to actor Lukas Gage from 2023 until their divorce in 2024. His current partner and his net worth have not been publicly confirmed.
His Strictly journey may have ended in the first elimination, but his honesty about the experience, and about his life, is a big part of why so many people now want to know more about him.
of Liz Fletcher, Dominic Chinea and Elizabeth Rizzini.
: Mary Greenwell, Katerina Christodoulou, Lee Juggurnauth and Evelyn Hollow.
You may also like: Evelyn Hollow | Dominic Chinea | John Williams | Gwendolyn Lee Byrd
FAQs
1. Does Chris Appleton have a wife?
No. Chris Appleton has never had a wife. He was in a nine-year relationship with Katie Katon, the mother of his children, but they were never married. His only marriage was to actor Lukas Gage.
2. How old is Chris Appleton?
Chris Appleton was born on 14 June 1983 in Leicester, England, which makes him 43.
3. Who was Chris Appleton’s husband?
Chris Appleton married actor Lukas Gage in Las Vegas in April 2023. Appleton filed for divorce in November 2023, and the divorce was finalised in 2024.
4. How many kids does Chris Appleton have?
Chris Appleton has two children, a son and a daughter, from his relationship with Katie Katon. Both are now adults.
5. How did Chris Appleton do on Strictly Come Dancing?
Chris Appleton was partnered with Amy Dowden and became the first celebrity eliminated from the 24th series after losing a dance-off to Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu on 4 October 2026.
6. What is Chris Appleton’s net worth?
Chris Appleton’s net worth is not publicly confirmed. He earns from celebrity clients, his role at Color Wow, television and his book, but no reliable source has published a figure.
