**Roman Kemp Responds to Lord Sugar’s Critique of His Bold Haircut**
TV presenter Roman Kemp has found himself at the centre of a heated social media debate after business mogul Lord Alan Sugar publicly mocked his latest haircut, igniting a flurry of opinions and light-hearted jibes online.
The episode unfolded after Kemp, aged 32, drew attention as he fronted BBC One’s The One Show on Tuesday evening. Unimpressed by Kemp’s hairstyle, Lord Sugar, widely known for his no-nonsense persona as host of *The Apprentice*, took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice his opinion. “What a weird haircut Roman Kemp has. I know I am a bit old and out of touch with some things, but what is it?” Sugar quipped, tagging the BBC’s flagship evening programme.
Unfazed by the public scrutiny, Kemp decided to embrace the tongue-in-cheek criticism. Sharing a trio of humorous photos on Instagram—including Lord Sugar’s tweet, a vintage snap of Sugar sporting a sizeable brown afro, and a relaxed selfie in his car—Kemp added the wry caption: “Well … we’ve peaked. My hair’s now been fired.” This playful response seemed to signal that Kemp was taking the remark in good humour.
Not content to leave it there, Kemp replied directly to Lord Sugar on X, inviting the entrepreneur to christen the haircut: “I’ve no idea on the true name, Lord Sugar. Please feel free to suggest one.” Sugar, never one to miss a chance for banter, responded with “Dead beaver Davy Crocket”—a tongue-in-cheek nod to the style he compared to the 18th-century American frontiersman’s famous fur cap. Kemp responded with a laughing emoji, further displaying his easy-going approach to the whole affair.
As the banter played out, social media users were quick to wade in with their own takes. Some suggested that Lord Sugar’s comments may have stemmed from a lighthearted rivalry, given that Sugar is a known Tottenham Hotspur fan, while Roman publicly supports Arsenal. “Maybe it’s a Spurs/Arsenal thing?” mused one user. Others leapt to Kemp’s defence, questioning why Sugar—or anyone—would be so invested in another man’s hairstyle. “Why do you care about another man’s hair?” asked another observer. Some fans even cheekily accused Lord Sugar of envying Kemp’s youthful looks, with comments like: “Far better than yours has been—yes, you are out of touch.”
On Instagram, a groundswell of support for Kemp emerged, with many affirming their fondness for his bold choice. “RIP hair. I think it looks great,” one supporter wrote, while another added, “He only wishes he was as handsome as you at your age.” A third fan made their feelings plain: “OMG HOW RUDE. Nothing wrong with your hair xx.”
Beyond the immediate hair-related drama, Kemp has previously spoken about navigating the pressures of public life and social media. On his podcast ‘You About?’ with singer Tom Grennan, he confessed to feeling anxious about exposing too much of his personal life online, both for his own privacy and for the wellbeing of friends and family who are not in the public eye. “I want people to know me. I’m not horrible, but I also want my private life,” Kemp explained. “It’s also for the protection of other people… If there are people who are in your life, who aren’t in the public eye, it’s more for them.”
He went on to discuss the potential pitfalls of living life according to social media. “I don’t want to be sat there thinking, ‘this would be a great Instagram picture’. I don’t want to live my life like that,” Kemp reflected.
While Lord Sugar’s playful jibe may have attracted headlines and left social media abuzz, it has also highlighted the shifting boundaries between public personas and private identities in the age of online commentary. For Kemp, it appears a little good-humoured mockery is par for the course when living life in the spotlight.
As ever, the British public remains divided—yet highly engaged—when it comes to the hairstyles and habits of those in the limelight. Whether Roman Kemp’s haircut will continue to trend or fade in a matter of days remains to be seen. For now, though, both celebrities have showcased some quintessentially British banter, and Kemp’s followers seem firmly on his side.