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Redhead league flock to website
1:06pm Thursday 4th October 2001
REDHEADS, fed up with teasing and torment at work or school, have flocked to a website set up by an Askett man.
Simon Cheetham, 38, of Aylesbury Road, started up the website – www.redandproud.com – 12 months ago after getting fed up with people mocking his hair.
The website has since proved to be a resounding success, receiving around 600 hits a day.
Many people write about their redhead experiences, like Danny who wrote about the teasing he received at school.
He said: "I'm 13 and can't get a girlfriend because of my ginger hair."
Mr Cheetham hopes redheads can read the website and feel better in knowing they are not alone.
He said: "After a lifetime of torment and more dished out to redheads, I thought it was time to stand up and fight back."
He added: "The idea of starting a website really began when I was walking along with friends in London and someone across the road just shouted out, 'Gingernut' at me.
"That was the defining moment."
The website now gets emails from as far afield as the USA, Australia and Zimbabwe.
Recently, visitors also voted on the redhead of the year with feisty Anne Robinson winning through. She beat off challenges from Paul Scholes, Nicole Kidman and Mick Hucknall to land the crown which was presented to her at Pinewood Studios last month.
Mr Cheetham said: "We met her for half-an-hour and she was absolutely brilliant. Her on-screen persona can be scary but she was brilliant."
He added: "She was aware of the website and was really friendly. Nothing was too much trouble."
Mr Cheetham sees Anne as a role model for young redheads who have to deal with taunts about their hair.
He said: "When you're 12 or 13, you get teased daily about the colour of your hair. A lot of young people find that difficult to live with."
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