Interview: James Read - celebrity tanning expert

Jul 25 2009 by Liz Lamb, The Journal

Celebrity tanner James Read has the enviable job of working with some of the world’s most beautiful women. On his first visit to the North East he shares some beauty secrets with LIZ LAMB and reveals the new look for summer.

LADY GaGa, Courtney Love, Paris Hilton, Billie Piper and even Hollywood A-lister Hugh Jackman have all stripped off for James Read.

Many people would be intimidated by having some of the world’s most famous celebrities naked in front of them, but not James.

“I put them at ease,” laughs the St Tropez expert.

“I do see them naked, but it’s fine. I get on really well with them and we have a good time.”

The tanning expert is a man in demand on the celebrity circuit.

No matter where he is or what he’s doing, if James gets a call from a star in need of some colour then off he must go to work his magic.

This was the case when I met James at the Malmaison Hotel on Newcastle Quayside. Our appointment had been brought forward because he’d received an SOS call from Lady GaGa who needed the tanning expert to administer her tan before she appeared on television.

He says: “I get celebrity clients through word of mouth, they know me from my reputation.

“ I have been in all the top fashion magazines and have tanned all the major magazine editors as well as people like Paris Hilton and Lady GaGa, she is one of my regulars.

“I did her recently for an appearance on the Paul O’Grady show and she likes a tan before a concert.

“She’s a huge fan of St Tropez and tans about twice a week, and whenever I get a call, I am there.

“I’m on call all the time, 24 hours a day.”

James regularly works at all the key celebrity events, including the Grammy’s, The Brits, London Fashion Week and the Glamour Awards.

“We tanned Hugh Jackman before the Oscars,” he divulges.

His busy schedule includes tanning the leading editors of the UK’s top fashion and beauty magazines including Vogue, Glamour, Grazia, GQ, Arena, Hello and many more.

Known as a tanning guru, he is often asked to demonstrate his skills and has been interviewed by Johnny Vaughan, The Sun, Daily Mail and Daily Express as well as appearances on many popular TV programmes such as Jade’s Salon, Trust Me I’m a Beauty Rep and How to Look Good Naked.

Actress Sienna Miller, former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell and the boys from Take That have all been tanned by the St Tropez senior tanning expert, who ensures they never have an obvious tan line or that terrible orange glow of a botched-up tan job.

“People do buy into the whole celebrity thing. Posh Spice is another celeb who is famous for using us,” says James.

“There are a lot of celebs who we tan who we are not allowed to talk about because they might be under contract.

“People see celebs and say I want to look like that.”

While the trend in recent years has been the darker the tan the better, the new look is more natural and not so obvious.

Celebrities such as Victoria Beckham, Lindsay Lohan and Girls Aloud’s Sarah Harding have all taken their tans down a notch.

“When we did the Oscars and the Brits people were wanting a lot more natural tan, a very subtle tan,” explains James, who has worked for St Tropez for seven years.

“It’s like a make-up, very subtle, it enhances your skin tone.

“Celebrities love our instant colour product. They can put it on and go out straight away with a colour. We also do an everyday tan so you can build up the colour to what you want. It’s not over the top.