Susanna Reid defended criticism of the Princess of Wales's newly lighter "bronde" hairstyle on Monday, saying she had chosen a similar look herself because lighter pieces were "a bit softer on ageing skin." Reid, 54, spoke on Lorraine after the Princess, 43, emerged last week with a noticeably lighter tone that prompted online commentary.
On the ITV programme Reid said the Princess of Wales retained her "very, very long, thick hair" and that some commentators had suggested she might go shorter, but added that the change to a blonder shade was part of the Princess's distinctive look. "You'd think it was because I saw the Princess of Wales and thought I like that look," Reid said, but insisted her decision to go lighter was not influenced by the royal. "Actually it's because I've started to go a bit lighter as I've grown a few years older. I find having lighter pieces in my hair is a bit softer on ageing skin."
Lorraine Kelly, presenting the show, suggested some of the conversation about the Princess's hair had centred on whether hair pieces had been used; Kelly said she wore clip-in pieces herself and questioned why that should matter. Reid also recalled that after she cut her hair into a bob in 2023, the singer Cher had urged her to grow it long again. Reid said she subsequently used extensions for added texture and length, adding: "They give your hair the most amazing thick texture. I turned back time and went long!"
The Princess's new tone has been met with both praise and harsh criticism on social media. Renowned stylist Sam McKnight, who once worked with Princess Diana, posted on Instagram in defence of the Princess, saying he was "shocked, horrified, dismayed and disgusted" by some of the online reaction. McKnight wrote that "a woman's hair is very personal to her" and criticised the comments directed at the Princess, adding: "So FFS LEAVE HER LONE. SHAME ON YOU." He also referenced the Princess's public discussion of her health in March 2024 and urged empathy.
Reid's appearance on Lorraine tied into a longer-running conversation about how public figures, particularly members of the royal family, are judged on appearance. She noted that she had not worn a completely natural colour for a long time and that her original chestnut colour at the start of her career now felt less flattering against her skin tone. Reid's comments framed the hair change as a personal styling choice rather than a response to external pressures.
Both Reid and the Princess of Wales remain prominent public figures whose appearance often receives disproportionate attention. The debate over the Princess's hairstyle illustrates ongoing tensions on social media around personal choices by public women and the responses they provoke from audiences and commentators.