Fleur East launches stunning natural hair care range Kurl Kitchen

By Sarah Tetteh

She Samba’d her way into our hearts –  and into the Strictly finals with her fabulous dance moves – and hairdos to boot. 

Fast forward a couple of years and Fleur East is certainly part of the Strictly family on It Takes Two. 

As she launches her stunning natural hair care range Kurl Kitchen with her sister Keshia, we can’t help but reminisce on her days on the dancefloor, just how she lived out her wildest hair dreams on set too. 

As a woman of colour, going onto a show where many have European hair, she didn’t know what to expect. 

But in a surprising twist, Fleur was blown away when she was given her own personal hair stylist from the get-go. 

I mean, how inclusive was that? Especially as we shine a light on Black History Month this October. So impressive! 

From then on, Fleur was able to live out her childhood fantasy of playing Ariel from Little Mermaid –  (the latest adaptation with Halle Bailey) and she looked just as dazzling as her stunning hair style of red locks were woven down her back as she glided across the dancefloor with partner Vito for a slick American Smooth. 

“Strictly was really cool. I got introduced to my hairdresser Um’Unique straight away. I felt comforted,” Fleur tells South London Press Showbiz. 

The doting mum to adorable daughter Nova said: “She was my hairdresser throughout the whole of Strictly. 

“Lisa Davey was head of hair, and understands all hair types. Then Um’Unique would work with my hair. 

“We went through some amazing looks. One of my highlights was Movie Week when I got to be Ariel from the little Mermaid. So she created this red, dreadlock wig, with crotchet locks. It was amazing. 

“In this day and age, I’m here on the BBC Strictly Come Dancing rocking these locks. It was a big deal for me. And then to play ‘black Ariel’ there was so much I was standing for. It was so inclusive. I loved it.” 

Indeed, dreams can come true –  and now Fleur is bringing positive vibes to her fans  –  encouraging them to embrace their natural hair –  from the comfort of their own homes, with her fabulous new haircare range. 

So is this Britain’s answer to Beyonce’s hair care range? 

Fleur says: “How funny, when we released Kurl Kitchen in June, after four years of working on it, we went to Ghana, we formulated the whole range there. 

“We have added all the ingredients like wild yam, okra, black soap shampoo. We have really incorporated all the ingredients that we grew up eating. 

“We launched it, then boom Beyonce released Sacred, and then Rihanna did hers. This is brilliant, we are at an age where people are recognising this is a huge market, and it’s needed.” 

Fleur recalled the very moment she made the decision to embrace her curls, and never looked back. 

The star, who shot to fame on The X Factor, said: “It took me so long to embrace it. For many years I was straightening it, tucking it away. I didn’t see it as something that was celebrated. I used to always have my hair straight, but one day after I went swimming, I was in the playground and my friends were like, ‘Oh my gosh, is that how your hair goes when it’s wet? 

“Why do you do anything to it? ‘I was like, OK, maybe it’s cool to have the curls. 

“It was that moment, I was about 13, when I remember being like, right, let me just do this.”

Fleur also said her late dad was instrumental in her decision to flaunt her curls too. 

She said: “He was always telling me, ‘What is wrong with you? You don’t know what you’ve got. 

“You don’t get how amazing your hair is. He just wanted me to embrace it. So I have ever since.’ 

Londoner Fleur has been so passionate about hair equality, she talked about it in parliament. 

She said: “I strongly believe that everybody should be treated equally, irrespective of how their hair grows out of their head. 

“It’s ridiculous that anyone should be treated differently or unfairly due to their hair type. Our hair strands should not impact our life’s plans. 

“The twists and turns of each coil or curl shouldn’t negatively shape our life’s path. Our curl pattern should not evoke a pattern of behaviour that discriminates against us. The way our boss thinks, should never be coloured by the way our hair kinks. Our value should not be determined by the volume of our hair, but rather by the depth of our character.” 

Kurl Kitchen is available at Boots in store and online https://www.boots.com/kurl-kitchen 

Pictured top: Fleur has launched her fabulous hair care range Kurl Kitchen with her sister Keshia (Picture: Poitr Motyka)