A 26-year-old hairdresser bagged himself thousands of pounds two days before he returned to his salon for the first time in months.

Ryan Weight, from Castle Hill in Ebbsfleet Valley, went home with £12,500 after he became the first ever winner of ITV's new game show, Game of Talents.

The show, presented by Vernon Kay and filmed in Maidstone, sees contestants pair up with celebrities to try to figure out the hidden talents of the eight mystery performers in each episode.

Ryan, who works at Cutting Edge in Lowfield Street, Dartford, was partnered with Tess Daly.

After making it to the final round, the duo were faced with having to identify the talented performer out of the four mystery individuals presented before them.

Luckily, the pair guessed correctly which saw Ryan win the grand prize of £12.5k – just days before he returned to work as lockdown restrictions eased across the country, allowing hairdressers and other personal care outlets to reopen.

Ryan said: "It was amazing, I loved it, I've never won anything before so I was just so shocked.

"I've never had any savings or anything like that before so it was nice to have something to work from and, of course, treat myself. I was ecstatic. It is really nerve-racking though."

After having a "spend-up" in Selfridges, Ryan plans to use the cash to take his mum on holiday and treat himself to some dental work, before saving the rest for a deposit on a home.

He added: "Tess and Vernon are such lovely people, they're really down to earth and we got on really well, it was just non-stop laughs.

"I feel like we all need something like this. Everyone's had a rough year so it was quite nice to do something different and exciting. It was a really great experience."

Last Monday, Ryan, along with stylists, barbers and hairdressers across the country, returned to work after being off for more than five months.

"It's been fun being back at work. Obviously it's been hard, just trying to get everyone in, but it's what we signed up for and it's just great to see everyone coming back through the door," he said.

"I've enjoyed just having normal chit-chat and seeing people has been so great. Some customers said how surprised they were to see me on the telly."

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