The winner of BBC Three’s make up competition Glow Up: Britain’s Next Make-Up Star has been revealed.
Hosted by Stacey Dooley with judges Val Garland, Global Make-Up Director for L’Oreal Paris, and Dominic Skinner, Global Senior Artist for MAC, Glow Up concluded this week.
Bradford-born retail assistant and drag queen Ellis was crowned the champion in the series final, winning the chance to assist some of the world’s top make-up artists.
After consistently impressing the judges throughout the series, and being the only MUA not to enter the Face Off ahead of the final, Ellis beat seven others to the title, going head to head with vlogger Nikki and Learning Support Manager Leigh in the last episode.
Ellis said of her victory: “Winning Glow Up, against other people who are so talented… it still hasn’t sunk in. The whole things has just been an amazing experience, living with people who share the same dream as me was such an inspiring situation to be in, and to have Val and Dominic’s approval as I start my career is the best gift anyone could have given me.
“I feel like we’ve all come so far and learnt so much from being in the competition, and I’m really looking forward to continuing that and being able to do what I love every single day.”
In the final, Ellie wowed the judges with his look for the last creative brief, playing with the idea of colour and how people see it differently, leading Val Garland to declare it as “major” and guest judge Rankin to say he would have been proud to photograph the look.
Show judge Val Garland said: “It was incredible to watch the already talented MUAs grow week by week, the sheer adrenaline and the willpower to succeed was empowering and often very emotional.
“But, to be the winner of Glow up, the MUA in question needed to show both creative vision and technical knowledge and skill, which Ellis delivered throughout the competition, even when under the immense pressure of the Face Off in the final challenge of the series.
“This ability to keep cool and think on your feet is crucial, as the prize will see the winner working alongside some of the best MUAs in the business.”
Reflecting on the series as a whole, she added: “It was an honour to be part of this show, discovering and promoting emerging talent, with the help of the incredible guest judges, the compassion of the very lovely Stacey, and of course the lovely cheeky chappy Dominic, who all made this show momentous for me.”
Fellow judge Dominic Skinner added: “Working alongside the guest judges, the iconic Queen Val and caring Stacey, to nurture and support all the talented artists that took part was a dream; all the MUAs’ passion, excitement and sheer enthusiasm for their makeup artistry was palpable.
“Over the weeks Ellis seemed to really find himself artistically and emotionally. He allowed himself to become vulnerable which, in turn, allowed him to build himself back up and become an even more talented artist. I’m proud of the journey that he went on and so excited to see what he does in the future.”
You can watch all episodes of Glow Up: Britain’s Next Make-Up Star for free online, available to stream on BBC Three via iPlayer now.
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