In the first of a new series, four of Britain's brightest young hairdressers go head to head for the title of BBC Young Hairdresser of the Year.

Judges Adee Phelan and Beverly C put the contestants through their paces in a series of gruelling tasks to decide which one has the cutting edge.

Round One sees the hairdressers' technique and styling skills put under the microscope when they have to recreate a perfect vintage 1940s look. It soon becomes clear that one of them is out of their depth as they struggle to design a hairstyle to impress the judges. Luckily for them everyone's got a second chance before the first elimination.

In the second challenge the hairdressers have to create a gents haircut for an ad campaign, but the judges are astonished when complacency sets in and the competition looks like it could turn on its head when the underdog going into the challenge looks like the front runner. The judges are then left with a hard decision as they must eliminate the first contestant from the competition.

The final three then face the interview from hell and even the most confident has to battle against nerves to answer an array of questions that demand an encyclopaedic knowledge of all aspects of their art.

With no clear winner, it's down to the minute details as Adee and Beverly have to choose the top two to battle it out for the title.

The competition reaches its climax with the ultimate creative challenge. The two finalists are given total artistic freedom, along with professional models, stylists and make-up artists to help them produce an ambitious head-to-toe look that is worthy of the title Young Hairdresser of the Year. Show less