Local MUA Craig Hamilton becomes first from NI to reach Glow Up final
We're backing him all the way 👏
BBC Three's Glow Up is one of the biggest shows on TV right now, it has well and truly captured the hearts of so many budding make-up artists up and down the UK.
And one local 24-year-old from Craigavon has left us in stitches week after week, with his witty one liners and expert eye for make-up artistry.
Craig Hamilton started his career studying Art and Design in the South Eastern Regional Collage in Newry. He is now living his childhood dreams, working alongside of the biggest names in London.
Tonight sees series 3 of Glow Up come to an end, but will it be Dolli, Sophie or Craig that comes out on top?
"It's funny, when entering the show I didn’t look at myself as the first Northern Irish contestant, instead as a make up artist just wanting to make my way into the industry."
"But the support from so many people at home has been overwhelming, I've realised now I'm not just doing this for me, but for so many more. I'm representing us all, I didn’t want to let anyone down."
It's fair to say Craig's looks in the first episode didn't quite go to plan. But he sure has stepped it up throughout the process, and is now a worthy finalist!
"After finishing episode one, I felt so defeated and low. I knew I had so much more to give and really didn’t want my time in the competition to be cut short. It's been a journey for me, I think you can really see a lot of growth week on week looking back."
"I’ve been such a huge fan of judges Val (Val Garland) and Dom (Dominic Skinner) for so long, it was special to have the opportunity to hear their feedback. For me Glow up is not just about showcasing talent, it’s about learning new skills, listening, understanding and then delivering in all areas of make up and industry. So any critiques, positive or more constructive was great to hear."
Craig's infectious personality and sense of humour seemed to brighten everyone's mood on set by the looks of things. From singing a High School Musical duet with Maya Jama to his 'blessed' comments, how on earth did they get any work done 🤣
"Coming from Northern Ireland, I feel we literally have a saying for everything, ‘Stressed and Blessed’ was literally a quote I lived by throughout the competition, that's exactly how I was feeling. I always had a laugh with the production team and my fellow cast mates, I got to teach them some Northern Irish slang too, they loved it!"
Looking back through the challenges and opportunities the show offers contestants, it's crazy to see how far Craig has come. But does he have a favourite look/moment from the show so far?
"My two favourite creative looks have been the social media filter challenge where I created Marilyn Monroe with a paper headshot and then the guilty pleasure challenge. I created a look to represent my guilty pleasure, which was singing in the mirror, locked in the bathroom performing different songs. For this look I received a DING DONG!"
"Winning the ASOS beauty campaign and designing a look for the TV show POSE was amazing. That's what I want to do in my career, so those opportunities were life changing!"
"It’s so mad to think tonight's the final, where did the time go? Everyone has been super supportive and encouraging since the very start, and that just makes me want to elevate my skills even more."
"You're going to have to tune in to find out who is crowned the winner! I can’t give to much away, but I put my all into it, so I hope you like what you see! "
We can't wait! You can watch Glow Up: Britain’s Next Make-Up Star on BBC Three from 7pm, Tuesday 8th June.
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