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Keith Lemon's guide to ginger-haired happiness

Keith Lemon, seen here with White Wine Question Time host Kate Thornton, claims he's made being ginger cool
Keith Lemon, seen here with White Wine Question Time host Kate Thornton, claims he's made being ginger cool

Celebrity Juice presenter Keith Lemon couldn’t care less about having ginger hair and thinks fellow gingers should ignore the taunts and accept their uniqueness.

“It doesn't matter what colour your hair is, it's only hair and I don't care,” Keith proclaimed on White Wine Question Time. “People that are brutalized for the colour… they've just got to learn not to care and then they won't get grief.”

He revealed to host Kate Thornton that he’s often told he bears a resemblance to Simply Red singer Mick Hucknall, which he actually loves – even though it’s intended as an insult.

“People now actually say it's as a slur to me, ‘Keith, you're starting to look like Mick Hucknall’. And I go ‘Thanks - you mean in the '90s?’ I thought he was really cool Mick Hucknall - I did want to be like him.”

However, he’s not that keen on being compared to the hit-maker now.

“He looks like an old tomato with a ginger wig,” laughed Keith. “But I know that's where I'm going to go. I know that's what I'm going to look like when I'm his age!”

As a proud red-head, Keith shared his (slightly tongue-in-cheek) tips on how to be dignified and ginger:

1 Find someone to look up to

“When people get a hard time for being ginger, I go we're not a race,” he explained on White Wine Question Time. “It's not as bad as racism, but it's nice when there's a ginger person to connect with and to look up to.”

Keith revealed apart from Mick Hucknall, he really looked up to ‘80s stalwart Rick Astley. Although he said that he was upset that the Never Gonna Give You Up singer actually dyed his hair.

“He denies and dyes,” Keith told Kate. “He's got sort of dark brown hair now. I've had this discussion with him. He has denied it to me - but with a smirk.”

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2 Embrace your uniqueness

“I like looking different,” claims Keith. “I do a Vivienne Westwood. I can't remember what the exact quote was, but she said, if you dress interesting, you'll have an interesting life.”

Engage conversation about your ginger hair, make it a fashion statement, wear it proud and loud. It’s part of you who you are and nothing to be ashamed of.

“I don't really get grief for being ginger - well maybe I do - but I don't take it as grief because I like having ginger hair,” said Keith.

3 Give tough love

Asked by podcast host and long-time friend Kate Thornton how he would bring up ginger children if he had them, Keith said he’d give them tough love to help them out in a world that is sometimes anti-ginger.

“I'd laugh at them,” he said. “I'd go 'Ha, you gingers!'”

4 Keep it real

Keith wants everyone to embrace their natural hair colour. Talking about TV presenter Rylan Clark-Neal, host Kate Thornton revealed he was naturally ginger.

“You could encourage some gingers back into the fold” she said to Keith. “And I'm going to give you a prime example in Rylan.”

“I've asked him before, are you ever gonna keep it real?” replied Keith. “And I think he said he will do one day…”

Keith Lemon talks about forming a ginger cult, his love of Winona Ryder and why he cried on the Keith & Paddy Picture Show. Listen now on iTunes and Spotify.