Walking The Dog with Emily Dean - George Northwood (Part Two)

Episode Date: November 13, 2025

In part two of Emily and Ray’s walk with the brilliant George Northwood, the king of modern hairdressing, the conversation continues with more fascinating stories from one of the most creative forces in British style.If you haven’t already, catch up on part one, and if you’d like to experience George’s signature Undone look for yourself, or explore his award-winning haircare range, visit georgenorthwood.com.Follow Emily:Instagram: @emilyrebeccadeanX: @divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich JarmanArtwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to part two of Walking the Dog with the King of Modern Hairdressing, George Northwood. Do go back and listen to Part 1 if you haven't already. And if you want to sample some of the George Northwood Salon Magic yourself or try his hair care range undone, go to george northwood.com. Really hope you enjoy part two of my chat with George. And do give us a like and a follow so you can catch us every week. Here's George and Willow and Mocchi and Ray-Way. You've now opened three salons. Just opened our third in Holland Park, which is a beautiful space.

Very proud of it. I need to come here. Come and have a look. Please do. I'd love that. And that's, by any stretch of the imagination, owning three salons. Yeah. You have an empire now?

Yes. Well. Look at that. I guess we do. What's that, George? Is that husky? Akeeta husky. I don't think my whippets, my whippets don't.

Oh, so sweet. I don't mind, yeah. Oh, you're so sweet. And they'll be a bit threatened and probably, but... Lovely to meet you, what's the name? Reggie. This is Raymond. He's so cute.

Lovely to meet you, bye-bye. See, that's the thing of having dogs, isn't it? You just talk to people. Do you know what, George? I find it really good for my mental health. mental health that do you yeah because I can leave the house and feel a bit disconnected a bit kind of lonely whatever having an off day go for a walk and just have that much of an exchange with two or three people how do you feel better

for it because we're human beings we need connection we're pack and you know and that's all we need and also do you know what I like especially with I think when you you know like in your industry a lot of fashion people yes you know there's you get to know Madonna had a face for She used to say it's always the same 500. And sometimes it's always the same 500 in whatever industry you work in. What I like about this is that it's healthy to meet people who aren't in your industry and who aren't in your world. And I once, my favourite person I haven't met on a dog walk was this woman said, what's your dog?

I'm fascinated. And I've just got chatting towards. So what do you do? She went, I'm a beekeeper. And I said, pull up a chair. I want to spend some time with you. When else would I meet a beekeeper, George? No, it's so true.

I mean, we became really friends with a lady called Janice that lives near us. She's got a Whipit as well. And when I first moved to this area, I got out at Tradega Square, and she was there with her dog. And I thought, and she was so nice to us. And I thought, there's a woman here with a Whippet. I'm moving here. And it was a sign.

And we're still friends now. Poor woman, bless her, has got cancer. And I looked after her dog the other day. Like, you just look out for each other. And, you know, she's a teacher. and she was a teacher and teacher and you just get to know people and you're just there and I've met so many

people through my dogs and I like the all walks of life thing I like I want different people from different yeah industries and yeah well I want to talk to you as well because there's another thing happening in your life

which is pretty huge isn't it which is your you're going on a surrogacy journey and you're going to be a dad I'm going to be a dad, yeah. I'm having a baby, God willing. Yeah, it's all going to happen. So yeah. And you're doing this in Mexico? Yeah, I'm doing it via Mexico City. I'm doing it on my own. And my my surrogate is 16 and a half weeks pregnant. And it's incredible. It's the most incredible journey. nerve wracking anxiety inducing on Sunday we had a scan because she'd had a bit of a bleed

but apparently that's quite normal but they've now discovered a hematoma so we're just kind of she's on meds and rest now so there's a bit of ang well there's a lot of anxiety around me that I hope I hope she's going to be okay I hope my unborn son will be okay it's a boy And have you named the boy? Elijah. Unless I meet him and he's not on Elijah, but the surrogate's calling him Elijah, I'm calling him Elijah. So Elijah Rex, I think, because my grandfather was called Rex.

I have the most wonderful surrogate. We've really bonded and connected. And is it, George, is it gestational surrogacy? So does it mean that there's an egg donor and the surrogate are separate? Is that right? Yes. My egg donor was French venous. lived in Mexico lives in Mexico she doesn't she won't have contact she doesn't

want contact beyond so you know that's but you know the surrogate is so wonderful I really hope you know I hope we're you know friends forever after this but you know so far it's been a very pleasant situation and I'm very very happy it's something I've always wanted always I've always wanted to be a dad I remember But first thing, feeling I wanted to be a dad in my early 20s. I'm now 46. So it's been a long old wait. I haven't met anyone I want to do it with.

And so I thought sod it. And the minute I made that decision to do it on my own, I felt such a huge relief and pressure off of having to meet someone. And, you know, I'd love to meet someone. I'd love someone to join me on this journey. But it hasn't happened. So here we go. You know, and that feels good.

I like that. Yeah. Because I think it's also about, you know, it's interesting that, isn't it, that we tend to think sometimes it's waiting for other people to allow us to do what we want. Yeah. Why do you need a partner? Yeah. You know?

Yeah. And how many people, how many marriages, relationships end in divorce, separation anyway? Yeah. Did you come across when you announce this? Was there a part of you that was worried about meeting with any resistance to it or people questioning it? Not really, no, I have to say. No, I thought, no, I didn't.

Only because I would just, you know, just from the point of view of being, as a single woman, I would think, oh God, are people going to say, oh, well, you're not a two-parent family or something. Yes, I understand that. No, I didn't really have that. It is hard. It does bring up a lot of stuff. And it's hard not sharing that journey with someone at times.

Like when I was having the scan at 8 o'clock Sunday, because it's Mexican time, you know, you get the news that she's got a hematoma. She needs to go on meds and rest for a week. And then, oh, I've got processes all on my own. Yeah, I could ring friends and all the rest of it. And I've got that support network. But I'm not in this with someone. No, I know.

And that can be quite a lonely place. But I know that when he's here, it's all going to make sense. And it's just this bit, this bit is quite strange. When my surrogates on the other side of the world, I've got no tangible, I've got no belly growing in front of me, I've got no nothing other than this thing that's happening, that's the biggest thing to ever happen in my life that's kind of happening on the other side of the world.

There's a few complications, will it be okay? you know it's a lot of uncertainty which then manifests in anxiety but then in some ways yeah fear which also manifests in anxiety yeah but you do feel frightened sometimes yeah but you know he's already got me on my toes and sleepless nights so I mean I think this is like preparation for being a dad right it's what everyone says and also in a lovely way maybe it's lovely to reframe that as this is something you and him are going through that it's your relationship

and that's a very unbreakable bond it's making me well off a bit I'm not going to lie but I do think there is something rather lovely about that that connection you'll always have with him he's going through this with you that's how I see it

yes it's so true yeah rather than you know you might have some guy who you're going to have to pay aluminium two and won't see in three years why involve them yeah I couldn't be honestly doing on my own is the best thing

and the most emotional and hardest thing that I've ever done but it's just the best thing I've ever told. I wonder if it's the best way around that you have the child yourself. Then you look for a partner because then you're like, well let's see if you're good enough to raise these kids.

And if you want to join the ride, then yeah, you're welcome to but yeah, I think it's wholeheartedly recommend it. And the pathway I'm on in Mexico is just great. Yeah, in times like this with this hematoma stuff it's like, be nice if my surrogate was in the UK a bit closer but it's just not easy here and I just I started the process in the UK and the hoops you jump through and all of this I just can you do surrogacy here you can but there's

different rules around it isn't it with payment and things like that yeah it's a voluntary thing and it's yeah yeah yeah it has to be done in a certain way has to be done in a certain way and it's just there's just not many surrogates or many people that want to to, right, because you know, there's no real benefit to doing it other than people that want to help people. There are a lot of them, but there's a lot more intended parents than there are people that want to be surrogates. I do know one thing. Elijah's going to have pretty good hair. He's going to have great hair. He's going to have two doggy sisters here, which these two don't know what's going to give them. Oh, if it's quite protective and good with

kids? I think they'll be good, yes. I think they don't know what they've got coming. That's one of my weaknesses, George. When I look up my algorithm on YouTube is, I don't know. You know things that make you cry in a second is dogs being protective over new babies. Don't, I'm crying. I looked up the other day and all these ones came up and it was all Newfoundland won't leave newborn alone. I love that. Oh, don't.

It's so cute. Dog showing affection to babies. I can't bear it. The cuteness. I know these two are going to be really freaked out when they first meet him, but then they're going to absolutely love him. but it's just going to take a bit of time. It will, but it's going to be amazing. It's going to be amazing.

Yeah, I'm well up for it. This is the thing. They've got each other now. We're a unit. Mocki's reactivity wasn't even towards kids anyway. She's settling. Mocky is just really becoming part of our little unit now. Look, I love Mocky.

I love Mocky's been very sweet to Ray. Mokki, you're a good girl, aren't you? Look, they just want a treat now. So, George, when will Elijah arrive? Well, 40 weeks is March the 22nd. What's that, Aries? Aries, yeah Quite a force to be reckoned with

But then apparently if he comes early Which could happen Pisces, which apparently is the dreamiest star in the zodiac But everyone says that Oh, everyone said that about their own star, George Yeah, exactly, I'm Scorpio, so Oh, I'm not meant to get on with you Oh, really?

Yeah, what are you? Cancer. Oh, my sister's a cancer. Oh, we should say George's sister is also Is she the head colourist or? She's a colour, senior colourist in the cellar. And she loves Ray.

She always gives Ray a lot of attention. Oh, she loves Ray and she's got my gorgeous niece, Daisy. And, um, yeah. Well, what an exciting time it is in your life. A new salon. New salon. New baby on the way. Yeah.

Which I didn't have on my bingo card this time last year, but I love this for you. New dog. settling in. Life's good and I'm really looking forward to when the baby's born. I'm going to be in Mexico two to three months and I'm really looking forward to that. I'm just looking forward to this time out with my baby

bonding. These two are going to the neighbours. Are they? Yeah, well, dog sitters, neighbours, yeah. I've got friends, well, they've become friends. Then you're going to meet your new brother. Then I'm going to bring my new brother, their brother home. Your little brother's coming. It's going to be so exciting. You're going to be a sister. George, you're very polite person.

I have my moments. One thing that I think you've mastered quite well is that you don't, even if you are looking at someone's hair when you first walk into a room, you're very good at pretending not to do that. I can do the clock, like the quick. Do you?

Well, yeah, I don't know. It's funny, people who say, what do you think of my hair? I'm really not really looking at hair so much unless it's a consultation. What do you think of my producer's hair? Well. It's fabulous.

It's good. You've got a nice natural body to your hair. Apparently I've got good natural uplift. Oh, great. Oh, that's good. I love that. So, come on.

Do you... That's not something you do, though. You don't look at... Not really, no, I have... I mean, maybe sometimes, but not... No, it's funny. You think it... think I'd be looking more than I actually am.

When you run a hair salon and you're the owner and your name's on the door, what happens, and I'm talking hypothetical, I appreciate this has to be hypothetical, but if you're walking past and you see someone doing a haircut and you think, no, I wouldn't have done it like that, or I don't think that's right for that client, how do you deal with that? Would you have a sense? anything? I would say something if someone was if someone wasn't particularly busy or growing their column and there were issues and I had seen work that the thing is if you come and work for us and you don't work in our way and make someone look like a

George Northwood don't give someone a quote on quite George Northwood haircut you're not going to really get busy anyway because that's why people come to us so often as part of like maybe a review or appraisal process I'll say look you know if they we'll talk about that

and do you feel like you're working in the right way and you know have you had any you know or if someone gets a complaint we'll review it so yeah we do I will but if someone's busy and

I mean most people do that's part of the process we're a brand and it was very important to me that we had a philosophy and everyone should work in a similar way but be different as well normal people suck eggs I want there to be I want everyone to have their own stamp but we are we work as a sort of in a very similar way all of us yeah I would say that's true

well it's interesting because I sometimes when I've had my hair and makeup done for something like professionally and they said how do you do your hair and I said oh I like it kind of George Northwood and it's so interesting the makeup artist if they've been around a while and then they go oh yeah okay isn't that funny so I don't have to show them a photo that's really good and then I know that's amazing that's such a complex I say I like it George Northwood and they go okay and then I can feel it because they start I think get those barrel I get those songs out to get it beachy which means it just sums up to me that it's not I don't have to say anything else because it's like not too done is what it means.

No. No. I love that. Yeah. I thought you'd like that, George. Yeah, I'd love that. Yeah. Come on, Ray. Oh, where's my dog on? There he is. Oh, look at him in the sunshine. Oh, look. What a sun worship. Oh, Ray. And a little friend, Ray. He's waddling over to the water. You got to go in. George, I'm so excited about what's happening in your life. Thank you. I have a question to ask you as well. What is the thing when people sit down because a lot of people are sort of quite intimidated by hairdressers or feel there's a way to be or and I think what is the thing when someone comes into a hairdresser what thing do you most often hear that you think people I suppose over worry about when they're getting a haircut? I think the biggest concern people have

and I think it's a it's the right concern is that am I going to be able to style this myself can I do this at home and it's that it is the most common look the sinous squirrel look it is the most common concern that people have so I think and rightly so because I suppose yeah I mean I'd like to think that the way that I or the way that we cut hair is done in a way that you know before it was just I remember when my mum used to get her hair cut she would never she'd look great the day of the haircut and then it would look awful the other five weeks six days it wouldn't look great at all because it was this haircut that needed this big blow dry to look as it did as to I would like to think that I cut hair in a way that just kind of gets better and better and just look quite good in those times in between because if I do a haircut that looks crap when I've not styled it then I've not really I mean I get it if you've got particularly frizzy hair or hair that needs, you know, it's going to need a bit of work.

But I'm always quite honest about that. I'm saying, you know, you're going to have to spend a bit of time on this. Can I ask you a question? Yes. What do you think of extensions? I think extensions have a place. I think they can be great for like adding volume and length. I don't really like them to look like extensions.

I don't like it when there's that kind of steny look. got myself a full head of Stenny's. I'm not so into that. I've never heard of it. I like Stenny. The problem is as well is because that type of hair it really holds. And so it's got this kind of like set curl that looks a bit. Yeah, I'm not so into that. What haircut would you not do or what wouldn't you do if someone asked for? I would be pretty open to most actually. I'd just be very, I wouldn't do something drastic on someone that was heartbroken or emotional or hormonal. It's a good rule of thumb. I remember when I lost my family and I was running around the country deciding I needed to buy a coastal property like a lunatic with like no thought, yeah, I'll take that

one, I'll take that. And my friends did have an intervention and they went, you know you're going to buy this house in deal. Yes, I'm just going to buy this extra house. And it was like, just stop and have a thing. You've never really spent time there, you know, nothing about it. yeah um and you know the time passed and i thought oh no i don't want to run a property and deal that's not going to work it's a lot of work yeah to have to do property but i think it's just what was interesting was they recognized that this was just a classic reactive thing yes and it's the same with the hair cut isn't it absolutely you just got to be yeah i like to know that someone's thought it through a bit

and also if I'm really honest it's always nice to do if it's a new client I'd like to kind of do something drastic on the second visit rather than the first time I meet them but I mean I will do it but for sure

do you it's funny because I that's why I wasn't sure if getting Mocky was one of those emotional impulses things that I would but actually it's turned out that was the right choice it was a good thing yeah

you must have spent a lot of time I was feeling for hairdressers post lockdown because that was a lot of fixing you were having to do yeah it was hair became such a thing during I mean we all the value of hairdressers became really apparent didn't it throughout it did to me yeah because I had a bit of a run in with some it looked good on the it looked good it looked expensive this stuff I wasn't messing about I'll tell you what it was afterwards it wasn't cheap got it online Gave it a go. Oh my God, George.

When I walked in to have my hair done, luckily the salon started opening. And I went to one of your colourists, David. And when I walked in, I would describe him as a calm man. He's the kind of man. He doesn't really have hissy fits. He's the kind of man. You know, like the person in EastEnders, they discover a corpse. And they say, why don't I put the kettle on?

We'll have a nice cup of tea. He's that kind of man. I have never seen, from beneath his industrial-sized plastic protective visage. He almost fucking fainted when he saw my hair. It went, it was like Ronald Reagan Black in the last year of his presidency. No. I want to say, it was actually, remember Rudy Giuliani when he was at the Four Seasons of Total Landscaping? And gave that press conference with hair dye running that.

That is what I looked like. No, oh my God. And I walked in and Dave, he was almost shaking. He went white with shock. It was awful. It took about three appointments to put right. My God. What I'm saying, George, is that bad hair happened to a lot of good people in lockdown. Yes, it did. It did.

But did it make you feel, did you panic? Because you've spent years building up this business. Was there a point at which you thought this could all go tits up? I think it was a tough time as a business owner with no money and taking out a big loan, a corona loan that the government were offering. So you were basically in debt. Is that what it was? Yeah, like the government offered loans with like little or no interest. And did you furlough people? Is that how you pay? Yes, because everyone, yeah, pretty much everyone was employed.

Yeah. We furloughed people. We kind of worked on the product range. So we had that. And also my, I had this YouTube channel that kind of blew up. I was doing haircuts, fringe. I did a haircut with Alexa over YouTube. Did a fringe tune with Claudia.

Like I did myself a buzz cut. I cut my own hair. so there was a lot of there was a lot of buzz but that wasn't really generating revenue no so the salons was i only had one salon at that time it's crazy when you when you just said about the visor and i just remember my worst worst thing was trying to do hair with a mask on was it you can communicate and couldn't see the client's face no it was sure i mean we're not saying we had it toughest out we're not saying no but it was just trying to talk through a mask with hair dryers on it was just impossible really yeah

Yeah, it was a lot. Well, thank you for your service during that time. And you mentioned Claudia Winkleman, lovely Claudia Winkleman earlier. Love her. We love her. We love her. She's so fabulous. And I've seen her at George Northwood.

We've discussed you, and I'll meet for a love for you. She's an example, Claude, of someone who, there's an authenticity to her look and her style. Do you know what I mean? Yes. what's pulled it off for her because she's never sort of followed anyone else or she's just said, this is me, this is my look. Actually, yeah, you're right.

And I like that. And I'm very for that. Yeah, and that's her thing, isn't it? That fringe is her thing. Yeah, like I was saying, it's not being frightened to just do your own thing. And sometimes that's sort of why she looks so iconic. Yes, agreed.

Because when everyone else was getting the sort of caramel, highlights or cutting it so she was like now I'm not doing that no I'm having black hair yeah and it looks great it does look great it's her thing yeah well George Norford and I think that's almost what I want to do is I want people to feel like the best versions of themselves yeah you know not make them all look like the same you know so yeah job done well it's been such a joy and a delight as ever it has likewise thank you so much I could not be more thrilled about your such happy news, George, a new life.

Watch the space. Next time I might be doing this in a few years with a buggy. With Elijah. With Elijah. Oh, well, I hope you're still around to meet Elijah. Yeah, you will be. Oh, you need Elijah. You've been so cute.

George was talking to me. Obviously. We love you, George and Oxford. I love you too. Oh, thank you. It's been such a lovely thing to do. Thank you. And it's been lovely seeing these talkies.

And we should say, do, if you can get an appointment. And you can. You have to be persistent. No, I'm persistent. There's an online booking service. No, we'll get you in. Yeah. We'll get everyone in.

So there's your news salon in Holland Park. There's East London and Wales Street. And also, can I also recommend, can you get your products from your website? Yes. It's all available in the salons and online. Yes. And we've just had a restock. And there's dog shampoo.

Can I say it's the greatest dog shampoo I've ever tried? Oh, Raymond, we should put Raymond on. We should do an ad campaign with Raymond in, shouldn't we? Because, I mean, look at his hair. His hair, I mean, he's got ombre. People say to me, he's iconic. Because people know that I get my hair done at yours. And someone once said, does George and Oswald do Raymond's hair?

You're so iconic. You're so iconic. You're a hair icon, Raymond. Are we going to get George to do your hair? He's such a little cuttie. Look at him. Yeah, let's have a cuddle, Raymond. Bye, George.

Bye. Thank you. Thank you for the walk. I really hope you enjoyed that episode of Walking the Dog. We'd love it if you subscribed and do join us next time on Walking the Dog wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you.