Downing Street issued a letter of thanks to a student hairdresser who made a "thoughtful offer" to treat Boris Johnson to a haircut.
Jack Jenkins, a 19-year old from Thetford in Norfolk, who has found practising cutting hair difficult because of lockdown rules in the UK, said that he was "shocked" to receive a response to his invitation.
"The Prime Minister greatly appreciates your kind words of support and thoughtful offer to cut his hair," the letter said. “I am sure once restrictions are lifted you will have no shortage of models to practise on."
Jack, who currently attends West Suffolk College in Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk and studies Level Two Cutting and Styling, said that the Prime Minister "needs to smarten it up a little bit, but other than that he looks really smart".
“I’d probably just give it a cut round the sides then a trim on the top."
In the absence of live models during lockdown, he has had to use plastic heads to put his skills to the test, his mother says.
Joanne Jenkins, 55, said Jack had been practising his cutting and styling techniques on her during the period of restrictions, as well as on his 54-year-old father Carl Jenkins at the weekends when the tanker driver is not away at work.
She said her son has a “trunk full of plastic heads" that are "looking a bit dishevelled as he’s just practised on the heads, instead of people”.
According to Mrs Jenkins, the idea that they write the letter was made by a friend. She added that it was “really lovely” to receive a response.
She described Boris Johnson's hair as "great" but wondered if perhaps he doesn't want it cut.
"He’d be a great model though, wouldn’t he?", she said, continuing to say that she immediately agreed to write the letter. "We never thought we’d get a response but we did, so it’s brilliant."
According to a report by the Sun on Tuesday, Johnson asked his fiancee Carrie Symonds to cut his hair as his blond locks began to grow out throughout the lockdown period.
Boris Johnson yesterday vs Boris Johnson today. If Carrie has indeed given him a haircut, she didn’t go much beyond the split ends. #PMQs pic.twitter.com/Qtj8czQMnu
— Mikey Smith (@mikeysmith) February 24, 2021
As part of the UK's roadmap out of lockdown, hairdressers are at the moment set to reopen on 12 April.
After the PMs announcement, netizens had mixed feelings about not being able to get a professional chop for another two months.
So no hair cut until April having watched Boris and I heard correctly ... I will look like Rapunzel 😊😂😂 pic.twitter.com/lBTtLleapP
— Annie Pendrey (@AnniePendrey) February 22, 2021
Some made booking an appointment a priority.
First thing I did after Boris’s speech was book a hair cut! pic.twitter.com/PvtVyHHCll
— Helen E Davies (@WSFTHelenDavies) February 22, 2021
Others found making jokes about the PM's hair to be a cynical attempt to divert attention from the government's handling of the coronavirus.
Ohhhh look at lovable Boris with all the silly haircuts 🤭
— Holly #NHSPay15 💙 (@SocialistHB) February 26, 2021
No. He has presided over the worst death toll per capita in the WORLD and is incredibly dangerous.
If you ever needed a reminder that our media is not fit for purpose, here it is! pic.twitter.com/bczJYG9lTi
