Is Tony Blair a trendsetter? Why the mullet is making a comeback

The former Prime Minister has unveiled a shocking new hairdo.

When Tony Blair appeared on ITV News last night to talk about devolution and the possibility of a second referendum he caused an uproar on Twitter.

Not because of his comments – because of his hair.

Viewers were shocked to discover the former Prime Minister is now sporting what appears to be a mullet – and they were not impressed.

“Absolutely shocking” and “questionable” were some of the words used to describe Blair’s cascading grey locks. Comparisons were drawn to Peter Stringfellow, Andre Agassi, the Crypt Keeper from Tales of the Crypt and a dead squirrel.

Another Twitter user, Lisa Wade wondered why no one has told Blair that the age of 67 is “not the time to try a mullet”

What these critics (and there many of them) don’t realise, however, is that Tony Blair is actually bang on trend with his new ‘business at the front, party at the back’ barnet.

According to the 2021 Hair Report from Cosmetify, the mullet is the most in-demand haircut of the year so far, with more than 15.5 million Google searches in the 12 months to February 2021, an increase of 142% compared to the previous year.

Analysing Google data to determine the most in-demand haircuts when salons reopened, hair extensions brand Milk and Blush found that the mullet was the second most popular post-lockdown style.

Originating in the 1970s (early proponents included David Bowie and Paul McCartney), the short at the front, long at the back style had its heyday in the 1980s.

It became the hottest celebrity hair ‘do of the era, as seen on the likes of George Clooney, John Travolta, Kurt Russell, Jerry Seinfeld, Patrick Swayze and many, many more.

Country singer Billy Ray Cyrus was famous for his extra-long mullet and now his pop star daughter Miley is continuing the family tradition with her blonde tresses.

The 28-year-old is credited with inspiring a whole new generation of mullet fans who are opting for more subtle, shaggy version of her dad’s iconic cut.

More recently, Rihanna is the latest celebrity to jump on the mullet bandwagon with a wavy, shoulder-length take on the trend.

And of course we can’t forget modern mullet icon Joe Exotic of Tiger King fame.

Now, there are more than 809,000 posts tagged #mullet on Instagram and #mulletmonday has become a thing, where hairdressers show off their latest work.

This year’s mullets tend to be very choppy and colourful, with pastels and neons proving particularly popular.

As for Tony Blair, we wonder if he didn’t set out to grow a mullet and just happened because he couldn’t get a haircut for so long (he wouldn’t be alone in that).

But who knows, maybe the ex-PM has been a mullet fan for decades and he’s been waiting patiently for this fashion comeback so he can shamelessly rock the retro look once more.