A close shave with Grange Hill's Zammo

by Genevieve Hassan Entertainment reporter, BBC News

Zammo prepares for the hairstyling

It's not often that one can say they went to a salon and had their hair styled by Zammo from Grange Hill.

But thanks to Children in Need and Celebrity Scissorhands, I can utter those immortal words.

The celebrity hairdressing show has returned for a third series and Lee Macdonald - better known as Zammo 'Just-say-no' McGuire - is one of the stars clasping the crimpers for charity.

I wasn't brave enough to let him take a pair of scissors to my barnet - after all, this is a guy with no training who now runs a locksmiths - so I opted for a 'hair styling', or an 'up-do' as they call it in the hairdressing trade.

Ponytail trouble

As I entered the salon, I was greeted by fellow trainee and BBC Switch presenter Jeff Leach, who was manning the reception desk.

All clients who visit the Celebrity Scissors salon are asked to donate to Children in Need - no matter how they suffer - so, after handing in my contribution, I was introduced to Zammo who is quite possibly one of the most relentlessly chirpy people I've ever met.

I sat myself down in what I thought would be the medieval chair of hairdressing torture while Zammo went off to get his box of tools.

They got me massaging and putting ointment on the nether regions of a bloke I've never seen before in my life - and I wasn't comfortable with it. Lee 'Zammo' Macdonald on his time on Celebrity Scissorhands

I was actually surprised by how professional all the celebrity trainees were - it was so much like being in a real hair salon that I soon forgot I was being filmed by the unobtrusive cameras.

When Zammo came back, he explained what style he was planning - and that he had just practiced it on another trainee, The Real Hustle's Jessica-Jane Clement, in the staff room.

"I'm scared to do it," he admitted, as he ran a comb through my hair. "It's taken me the longest out of everyone here - I'm just not creative."

"I think we're going to be here some time," he said worriedly.

It was a good job I had didn't have any appointments to keep, as it took the best part of 10 minutes just to tie my hair in a ponytail, after a flummoxed Zammo asked Jeff for advice and a helping hand at twirling the elastic band round a few times.

"I bet you're glad you didn't get a cut now aren't you?" he asked nervously.

I didn't want to admit it at the time but, yes, I was.

With half the job done, Zammo set about sectioning the ponytail to be rolled up and pinned to my head.

Body waxing

In true hairdresser style, he engaged in mildly intrusive small talk about my life and relationships.

Hair by Celebrity Scissorhands trainee Zammo.

We also chatted about his wedding in Las Vegas last year, Grange Hill and the boxing career he had to give up due to a serious car crash that left him with severe head injuries.

We then got onto the topic of his experience in the salon.

"When they first asked me to do it, I thought 'hair can't be that hard,'" he said.

"I thought in my head that I'd win this - but how wrong can one person be!

"The worst thing in here has got to be the body waxing," he said, as he stuck another pin into my head.

"They got me massaging and putting ointment on the nether regions of a bloke I've never seen before in my life - and I wasn't comfortable with it."

After a helping hand from Jessica, another dozen pins and being suffocated in a cloud of hairspray, Zammo decorated my new hairstyle with a Remembrance Day poppy and some red berries he'd pulled off a plant in the staff room.

"I'm really impressed with that," he said.

Zammo presents the finished 'up do'

"That's probably, if not the best thing I've done in here!" And he did sound genuinely quite proud of his creation.

On my way out of the salon, I asked Celebrity Scissorhands presenter George Lamb what he thought of my new hairdo.

"If it's not been put in that style to hide a bad cut, then it looks really nice - I didn't realise Zammo had done that," he said.

Scissorhands boss Lee Stafford agreed: "It's fallen down and collapsing a bit, but from Zammo, I'm impressed.

"For a boy who can't hold a pair of scissors, or a comb - or really do anything - it's good.

"It's frustrating teaching him because nothing's clicked into place, but he's been very enthusiastic and tries hard."

So it looks like I can be grateful not to have been wracked with tears on the bus home.

And at least I can say I had my hair coiffed by a celebrity and more importantly, helped raise money for a good cause.

The Celebrity Scissorhands finale will be broadcast at 2100GMT on 13 November on BBC Three. The Children In Need show begins on Friday 14 November from 1900GMT on BBC One.