Archive copy by Jenni Baden Howard

These days, whenever a crucial red carpet is being rolled out, you can be sure that Charles won’t be far away, wielding his blow dryer and calming celebrity nerves with his infectious enthusiasm and wicked sense of humour (and a glass or two of bubbly, which flows as freely as the Earl Grey at Charles’s London salons, and his exclusive New York atelier - more about that later).

This year, Charles coiffed the stars for the Golden Globes and the Oscars, and was invited by Joan Rivers to co-host an American TV style show from the Cannes Film Festival. Whilst there, he got together with Stateside clients Rosanna and Patricia Arquette, and Keely Brosnan.

‘Everyone at Heathrow knows me by name,’ laughs Charles, who hops on a plane to America every few weeks. ‘I always sleep on flights - I could probably sleep on the wing.’

Charles wants every woman to be able to get glamorous, red carpet-ready hair. His ever-expanding salon and product empire is dedicated to achieving this aim. ‘Yes, a product has got to look and smell great, but it has to deliver, too,’ he stresses. ‘Women don’t want a science lesson on the bottle. They just want to know what something is for, and for it do it.’

The five London salons, which attract a fashionable crowd - regulars include Sophie Dahl, Jemma and Jodie Kidd, Jamie and Jules Oliver, Lady Victoria Hervey, Gail Hipgrave and Ulrika Jonsson - are ‘the ultimate testing ground’ for Charles’s products.

The line-up includes the hugely successful Results, Big Hair, Dream Hair and In Fashion ranges (seasonal limited editions are due to hit the shelves this autumn), along with the Outer Body Experience bodycare collection and the just-launched Dream Colour line - Charles’s first, long-awaited venture into home hair colour.

‘We wanted to turn the whole process into a pampering session, and something to get excited about,’ says Charles, who created the permanent formulas with his Colour Director, Carolyn Newman. Carolyn is based at the ultra-luxe, flagship salon and spa and frequently accompanies Charles on his trips to America. ‘We’ve gone for a really good, classic range of natural shades,’ continues Charles. ‘And we’ve really focused on condition, so that the hair feels even better when it has been coloured.’

This autumn sees the launch of another, all-new range: Total Frizz Control. ‘Frizzy hair is one of the most difficult types to work with, but these formulations are amazing - they make the hair radically different,’ enthuses Charles. ‘It’s a complete regime which nourishes and softens the hair and makes it more malleable - whether you want to define curls or straighten them.’ Formulas divide into two categories: for medium frizzy and thick frizzy hair.

Charles has road-tested Total Frizz Control on the impeccably groomed American fashion and beauty pack. His products already go down a storm Stateside, where they debuted four years ago. Last year, Charles bought two Manhattan penthouse apartments and knocked them into one to create a stunning private atelier. Here, clients are treated to cuts, colour - and manicures, pedicures or eyebrow shaping - on a complimentary, invitation-only basis (Charles welcomes donations to the Look Good, Feel Better charity). ‘We collect them from their office or home in a limo, which takes them back again, and there is a full-time chef, to cater to all dietary needs.’

Among those to have sampled the star treatment are the Arquette sisters (Charles met Rosanna at a Los Angeles film premiere, where he found himself sitting between her and Jennifer Aniston - ‘Brad was away filming, so I had his seat!’); Plum Sykes (of American Vogue); Linda Wells, editor of Allure magazine, China Chow, Kirsty Hume and Donavan Leitch.

The light, airy space affords a panoramic view of the city skyline (Charles originally trained as an architect). ‘Even New Yorkers can’t believe it when they see it,’ he says. ‘It’s unusual to get such clear, unobstructed views and the light is incredible. It feels like you are floating up on the clouds.’

Besides throwing a few himself - ‘in New York, nobody needs to be asked to a party twice,’ he laughs - Charles gets invited to glitzy gatherings, such as a private party for the cast members of the Sex and the City, where he met Sarah Jessica Parker. ‘She looked fantastic,’ says Charles (watch out Carrie - someone has designs on your curls).

A New York salon is in the pipeline - ‘we’re looking at a really great location, and it could happen sooner rather than later,’ reveals Charles - and Tinseltown, too, is beckoning. ‘L.A. is definitely part of the plan, after New York.’

Prior to both the Golden Globes and the Oscars, Charles set up a temporary, no-expense-spared suite-cum-salon at the Beverly Hills hotel L’Ermitage.

‘This was my second year at the Globes,’ says Charles. ‘It’s a slightly toned-down version of the Oscars, more casual. But L.A. becomes a celebrity magnet - you can’t pop into a coffee shop without seeing, say, Pierce Brosnan or Sting. And there’s a fantastic vibe, everyone is really excited.’

For the Globes, Charles had Alex Kingston, Donovan Leitch and China Chow in his hot seat, among others, and everyone left with a giant gift box filled with Dream Hair goodies.

‘The Oscars were fantastic, it was the first time I’ve been,’ says Charles, who coiffed Daryl Hannah, in addition to the Arquette sisters, Kirsty Hume et al. ‘There is such an energy and excitement in the run up to the ceremony. Everything is left to the last minute - including the dress, because everyone is terrified that someone else might be wearing the same thing. When it comes to the hair, actors and actresses are used to being advised all the time, so they tend to put themselves in my hands. I might experiment beforehand, but suddenly get a flash of inspiration on the day, and go for something completely different.’

Even off the red carpet, Charles’s US clients live up to their perfectly polished reputation. ‘American women in general are more high-maintenance, but they are not as cutting-edge as the Brits,’ he says. ‘They are a bit more conservative - they pull off that clean, classical look brilliantly. They don’t think anything of going to the salon for their weekly “blow-outs”, as they call them. If a style is difficult to blow-dry, it doesn’t matter because, the chances are, they aren’t going to be doing it themselves.’

One question that Charles gets asked a lot Stateside has nothing to do with how to use serum, or the best way blow-dry. ‘In America, people often ask me who came up with my trade name,’ says Charles. ‘I tell them “my mother”, but they won’t believe me. They think it’s made up.’ Much laughter. He might spend a lot of time 35,000 feet above the Atlantic, or grooming the glamorous up in the clouds above Manhattan, but Charles Worthington (his real name) is keeping both feet firmly on the ground.

Charles Worthington’s new Dream Colour and Total Frizz Control products are available at Boots and Pure Beauty stores nationwide. All inquiries, tel: 08450 708090, or visit cwlondon.com.