A lad who was once known as Tinder's most swiped man has revealed that his trendy trim was actually a wig all along.
There's no doubt that Stefan-Pierre Tomlin's impressive facial features and jawline would have seen him pick up plenty of matches on dating apps even without his hair, but the handsome hunk has now admitted to wearing wigs for the past 14 years to hide his receding hairline.
It was at the age of just 21 that Stefan's hair first started to show signs of regression, which came as devastating news given he had been signed on as a model when he was 17, and he immediately looked to make some changes.
He said: "It was one of the worst things that could happen to me," he said.
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"I immediately rushed into my mum's make-up bag to grab a brown eyeliner pen to draw on a new hairline.
"It was a new low."
After 'drawing on' his hairline for over three years, Stefan eventually switched to a more advanced technique, which involved spending £3000 a year on high-tech wigs and a specialist barber in Notting Hill, but it still presented problems for him.
He added: "It was incredibly difficult hiding it from people - I never had the confidence to show or tell anyone.
"There was one time I was invited to shoot a trailer for Love Island and I was asked to jump in a swimming pool.
"But I was wearing my fibers and they weren't allowed to get wet as they would smudge.
"So I said I couldn't swim and I often found myself lying to save the embarrassment of showing my real hair."
It was around this time, in 2017 to be exact, that Stefan earned himself the illustrious title of Mr Tinder, after it was revealed that more women had swiped right on him than anyone else.
A massive 14,600 women digitally registered their interest in him and it resulted in over 50 dates and numerous relationships, but he still felt like he couldn't be honest about his hair.
He said: "Even the pictures on my dating profile were of me with fibers in - and hair was always a topic of conversation I would avoid on dates.
"If a woman was to tussle my hair, I'd dodge away from their hand.
"They probably thought I was a little bit mental."
Fortunately, when the 35-year-old met Vicki Batsford in October 2024, he finally felt 'comfortable' enough to let her see behind the curtain, or under the wig in this case.
"I couldn't keep the gig up forever," he said
"Vicki made me feel trusted and safe - and when I finally explained she said she loved me for who I was.
"Even though I felt confident in the moment, my hair was still receding and I knew I needed to start looking for a permanent fix."
Stefan, who previously featured on shows such as Celebs Go Dating, eventually got a hair transplant and he's now more confident than ever, while also helping others find love with his London matchmaking business.
Topics: Tinder, Love Island
James Moorhouse