E4's the big blow out: episode one

Monday night saw the long awaited launch of new E4 series The Big Blow Out. Hosted by AJ Odudu, The Big Blow Out sees eleven experienced hairstylists compete in a series of  hair challenges that will take each stylist’s creative flare and talent and push it to the next level. The stylists are looking to impress legendary hairdresser Sam McKnight who warns, "This is not hair that you’re going to see walking down the high street" and Matrix Ambassador UK&I, celebrity hairstylist and award-winning hairdresser, Lisa Farrall, who will be joining HJ every week to discuss each episode, she tells us: “The Big Blow Out is championing and shining a light on the amazing work hairdressers do. It’s giving the audience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to not only see hair, but the blood, sweat, and tears that goes into hairdressing. It gives the viewers a backstage seat, from their sofa, into the world that we love and work in." This week we were treated to two episodes to kick start the series, and the first challenge was an opportunity for the stylists to show us who they are by constructing a hair masterpiece under the theme This is Me. Lisa explains: "There’s a different theme every week and for the first episode it was, This Is Me, a chance for our talented hairstylists to tell a story about themselves through hair, to showcase who they are. They were given free rein to be as creative as they wanted to be." The pressure to impress was too much for some stylists, and AJ showed us once again why she is the nation's sweetheart, by coaching one contestant back into the room after they took some time to step outside. https://www.instagram.com/p/CjRFILgtl7D/?hl=en Lisa agrees that the contestants are brave to enter this competition on a national stage: "Anyone who has ever entered a competition, whether it's awards, photographic or stage work, knows how hard it is and how much bravery and courage you have to have. I would absolutely describe all the contestants as brave, creative, and talented." For the second round we were given another look into the career of a hairstylist with a styling session by haircare brand OGX. The brief was to create a happy, healthy look in 90 minutes - the key here was to show movement - and to have your final image selected for an OGX campaign. This task gave viewers a real insight into what goes into a campaign, and just how important hairstyling is to a final look. https://www.instagram.com/p/CjRIPHFDMpE/?hl=en In this first episode we saw plenty of tears, wind machines and an abundance of talent so we can't wait to see what the rest of the series brings. Finally, we asked Lisa what her advice would be following episode one: "For anyone watching this and thinking of producing something creative, the advice I would give would be plan, plan, and prep - you always need to have a plan B. You also need to have a vision of what you want to do and never give up. Be your own cheerleader and be your own biggest fan. Be unapologetically yourself."