Darlington salon named top in country at Hair and Beauty Awards

Emma Kane, 38, owner of Two Hoots Wellbeing on North Road, has been named among the top in the country at the UK Hair and Beauty Awards just weeks after winning North East Beauty Therapist of the Year at the British Hair and Beauty Awards.

Emma, who lives with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), was placed 35th in the Industry Icon category out of thousands of entries, made the top 100 in the Beauty Therapist of the Year title, while her daughter Chloe, 17, was named 83rd Apprentice of the Year.

Emma Kane, 38, owner of Two Hoots in Darlington, has won national recognition after battling two strokes and a life-altering diagnosis in the last five years

The UK competition is considered one of the toughest in the industry, with entrants nominating themselves before being whittled down by judges from finalists to the top 1000, then top 100, top 50, top 10 and the overall winner.

Emma and Chloe travelled to Birmingham’s ICC on August 30 for the ceremony, hosted by Jake Quickenden and attended by the Fury family. There was also a surprise performance from The Wanted 2.0.

Emma and her 17-year-old daughter Chloe, who works for her

Emma said: “It was an amazing night. I was sitting watching my awards and thought I didn’t get any until I received a text from my husband, who was watching it live at home, saying, ‘congratulations, so proud of you’.

"He then texted to show our results, and I couldn’t believe it. Now that all the awards are in, it is sinking in. I have come so far from being a small salon that started in a back bedroom to now the expansion with the salon, I couldn’t believe we’d get here.

"The response has been great, everyone is just over the moon for me and proud as they knew I had it in me.”

Emma Kane at the UK Hair and Beauty awards in Birmingham where she was named as the 35th industry icon and in the top 100 of therapists of the year

Her journey has been anything but straightforward. Twice she has lost the ability to move the left side of her body after suffering two strokes. The first came just six months after the birth of her son Bobby, now five.

Emma said: “Just six months after having my boy, this stroke scared me to the point where I thought I would never be able to hold my children again.”

Chloe Kane at the UK Hair and Beauty awards in Birmingham where she was named as the 83rd apprentice of the year out of thousands

Within eight months she regained her strength and returned to work but tragedy struck again in 2023 when a second stroke wiped out her progress. Doctors later discovered a calcification in her fourth ventricle which controls the spine and nerves, leading to her FND diagnosis.

Despite that, she pressed on. In July 2024, she opened her own salon after more than 20 years in the industry and a decade self-employed. Two Hoots Wellbeing takes a different approach by charging clients for time rather than individual treatments while focusing on both physical and mental health.

Chloe now works alongside her mother in the salon while her younger brother Bobby, who is also autistic, has grown up watching Emma fight for her career.

Originally from Skipton, Emma moved to Darlington over 20 years ago and has built a loyal following thanks to her person-first approach to beauty therapy where she provides services the customer needs after a small assessment rather than selling them everything.

Emma previously said after her British Hair and Beauty awards: "After going through a lot and it still affecting me day to day, this award win just makes it all worthwhile.

"I am doing things beyond my wildest dreams. After that first stroke and how scary it was, I never thought I would be here now.”