Cutting It


Cutting It is a BBC television drama series set in Manchester, England, focusing on the lives and loves of the team running a hairdressing salon. It ran for four series between 2002 and 2005. The show features a number of actors who subsequently became established stars, including Amanda Holden and Ben Daniels.

Synopsis

Series 1

In the first series, Alison Henshall, known as Allie, and her husband, Gavin Ferraday, run a hairdressing and beauty salon. Allie's sisters, Darcey and Sydney, are the salon's beautician and nail technician. Allie and Gavin also employ three more staff, hairdresser Shane, junior Ruby and accountant Eugene. Their parents, Brawdie and Tom, complete the regular cast.
Finn Bevan, Allie's ex, and his current wife, Mia, open a rival salon across the road. Allie is upset as she wanted a 2nd Henshall Ferraday salon while Gavin wants to start a family. Allie is reluctant, insisting that she is not maternal and tells Finn that she aborted their baby but later admits that she gave their daughter up for adoption. Ruby reveals that she is Allie and Finn's biological daughter after Allie visits her parents to discuss Ruby's behaviour. Gavin knows that they knew each other years ago and soon realizes the truth about their relationship, as does Mia. Finn makes it clear that he wants Allie back but, despite a one-night stand, she chooses to stay with Gavin until he leaves, needing space. On his return, he insists Ruby tell Allie the truth and she is horrified to learn that Finn is her biological father. Gavin asks Allie to choose and she chooses Finn, leaving with him.
Other secrets that emerge during the series is the truth about Darcey being mixed race. Tom and Brawdie claim that Darcey is a throwback to Brawdie's Jamaican grandmother but when 70s singer, DC Washington, comes for a wedding that Allie and Gavin are doing the hair and beauty for, the truth is revealed. When confronted by Allie, Brawdie insists that she wanted Allie to have a better life and that she had done her a favour. It is soon clear that Brawdie blames her and Tom for wrecking her life. Darcey and Sidney are equally disgusted and despite Brawdie trying to persuade Darcey to introduce herself to DC as his daughter, she refuses, saying that Tom is her father.
A few of Allie and Gavin's friends/colleagues club together to bring a stylist up from London for some expert coaching and Gavin gives his place to Mia, much to Allie's horror. Mia is equally horrified to discover that the stylist is Chantal Morisot, her former boss and the woman she stole Finn from. Chantal is antagonistic to Mia all day and eventually Allie confronts her about it. Chantal apologizes, promises a full refund before leaving. Allie persuades Mia to come for a drink with her, her sisters and Ruby. Sydney tells them that she thinks that she is pregnant, following a brief relationship with Finn, upsetting Mia and Allie, and Allie confides in Mia about the baby she gave up for adoption. Chantal happens to be in the same bar and when she hears Mia tell Allie that Finn will make a great father, she laughs and tells her to ask Finn's other ex-wives, Natalie and Su-Lin, about that. Sydney has a daughter, Calypso, and struggles with motherhood as she insists that Calypso behave as if they were sisters, rather than mother and daughter

Series 2

In the second series, Gavin is devastated by Allie leaving and trying to ease the pain, dates many women, including Darcey and Ruby. At her grandfather's 60th birthday party, Ruby reveals that Allie and Finn are her parents and Finn's colourful past, including a criminal record, four ex-wives and two more daughters, Jodie and Layla.
The next day at the salon, Gavin tells Allie that he wants a divorce and offers to buy her half of the salon and house. He renames their salon "Gavin Ferraday" and Allie takes over Mia's salon, renaming it "Allie Henshall". Shane and Darcey join her after Darcey splits from Gavin and feels she cannot work with him. He promotes Ruby and employs Ravi. Ravi does not stay long as he gets a place on a talent show shortlist, despite dating Sydney briefly and proposes to her before leaving for London but she declines, staying in Manchester. Sydney's daughter, Calypso, also takes part in the talent competition and was asked to go to London but Sydney refuses permission as she is too young. Allie and Darcey also found out the identity of Calypso's father.
Allie realizes that she made a mistake leaving Gavin and Shane tells Ruby that its only a matter of time before they get back together. Ruby insists he is wrong as Gavin is with her now and she is pregnant. Eugene gives her a shoulder to cry on and offers to be there for her but she refuses, telling Allie and Gavin about her pregnancy just as they are getting back together. Once Allie recovers from the shock, she asks Gavin to stay with Ruby, which he does. She says nothing about her own pregnancy, assuming Finn is the father, unaware of his vasectomy eleven years ago. The night of Allie and Gavin's one-night stand, Finn slept with Mia. She assumed they would get back together and return to London but Finn let her down gently, telling her that he was with Allie and Manchester was his home now. In revenge, she told him she was late but he told her it was a false alarm and she discovered that Finn had been having an affair with her mother, Zinnia, for years. Determined to hurt Finn, she set fire to both salons and left

Series 3

At the beginning of series 3, Finn surprises Allie when he arranges for them to get married in Naples. On their return, Allie tells Ruby who promptly asks Gavin to marry her. Allie's baby isn't due for another few weeks and resents Finn's constant fussing, insisting on organizing Ruby's wedding. Ruby's waters break just as she reaches the altar, halting the wedding as she and Gavin rush to the hospital. Gavin goes home to fetch Ruby's baby bag and gives Allie a lift. Gavin sees something isn't right with Allie and she admits that she is in labour so Gavin delivers her baby, a boy they name Ralfie. Finn helps Ruby deliver her baby at the hospital, a girl they name Artemis.
While on maternity leave, Allie almost misses a photo shoot for a magazine. Not wanting Allie bothered, Finn calls his ex-wife, Chantal, but Allie remembers the photo shoot and arrives at the salon, later joined by Ruby, Gavin and the babies. Chantal is horrified as she thought she was stepping into Mia's shoes. Finn did tell her he and Mia had split but not that he and his new wife had had a baby. On discovering this, Chantal leaves. Family secrets emerge again at Ralfie's christening. The priest,, recognizes Gavin as he taught him at a local school and through him, Ruby gets in touch with Gavin's parents. Allie thought they were dead but after their behaviour at Ralfie's christening, understands why Gavin did not want them around.
Darcey's biological father, singer DC Washington, comes to town for a gig and Darcey leaves a note but does not see him, realizing that Tom is her father because he raised her, unlike DC, who has only just discovered her existence.
Troy, manager of the coffee bar next to the salon, is Mia's half-brother. She has been in therapy for addiction to her ex and decides to visit Finn so she can apologize to him and Allie for her behaviour. Allie sees her first and after doing Mia's hair, leaves Finn a message, warning him she is in Manchester. Finn meets her at a bar with Ralfie but Finn's refusal to admit his vasectomy upsets her and Allie finds Mia and Ralfie sat on the edge of the roof of their apartment building. Finn persuades Mia to give Ralfie to him before slipping from the roof but Finn rescues her. Mia is sectioned and Finn and Allie are warned not to take any notice of anything she said but Troy stays at her bedside. On his return, Troy tells Ruby that he wants a more personal relationship but she refuses. This changes when she finds out Finn is planning to leave Allie and baby Ralfie and has a go at him for being selfish and unreliable. He lets it slip that Gavin is, in fact, Ralfie's father. Ruby is horrified and realizes she made a mistake when she got together with Gavin and leaves with Artemis.

Series 4

Series 4 starts with Allie's parents remarrying; Allie and Gavin are back in business together and are even starting their own hairdressing academy. They are considering getting married and Allie thinks she is pregnant but later discovers that she has ovarian cancer. Allie is told she needs a hysterectomy and chemotherapy. Allie and Darcey keep this secret but Sydney finds the pregnancy test and thinking Allie is going to have an abortion, tells Gavin. He rushes after her and Darcey tells him the truth.
Liam is an investor in the Henshall Ferraday hairdressing academy. He was once part of a boy band called Gimme 5, now retired from show business and looking for a new interest. He takes a shine to the woman hired as teacher for the academy, Melissa Devereux. Unfortunately, she needs some persuading to take the job as she and Gavin had a fling while he was in Australia in series 1. He returned to the UK, leaving her to get married but things did not work out and she came to the UK.
At one hospital appointment, Allie is told that she is not responding to the chemo and considers stopping. Worried she does not have long to live, she organizes a secret wedding for her and Gavin. Just after the ceremony, she has another appointment at the hospital. Shocked by the doctor's news, Allie does not look where she is going on leaving and is killed in a car crash. Gavin tries to replace Allie with Melissa but she realizes it is too soon for Gavin to move on and dumps him.
During series 3, Darcey realized she was developing romantic feelings for Eugene and he felt the same so they started seeing each other. When Darcey started spending time with Troy, Eugene was worried until Darcey told him she was not having an affair because she is pregnant with his baby. The series ended with Gavin's decision to go travelling with Ralfie and gave Darcey control of the business.