It is being hailed as the ultimate revenge.
A schoolboy once teased for his looks now having the last laugh.
Louis Evans was the boy at school the bullies picked on.
His red hair.
His acne.
His unpopularity with the girls.
His teenage years were a misery.
He told the Daily Mail “It was quite difficult growing up in a small town. People are very close-minded in Lowestoft. Back at home there were stereotypes about gingers and I had the wrong kind of attention.”
His small town in the UK wasn’t welcoming for kids who looked like he did, so his school years were spent as the victim of torments and bullying.
Things didn’t improve much when he left school either. He got a job in an office supplies company.
It didn’t really suit him, it wasn’t really what he wanted. Life was fairly mundane for the boy everyone called “Rusty”.
He told the Daily Mail that he had no confidence, no direction.
But like all Mums his was determined to see things change for her son. She could see what no other could. This ‘victim’s’ world was about to get a massive shake up.
You see very quickly, around the age of 20 Louis had begun to change – the acne-ridden teenager blossomed.
Think ugly duckling and striking sophisticated swan.
His skin cleared and his cheekbones became more prominent.
He says his face became ‘flawless’.
After some encouragement from his mother he submitted his portfolio to a London modeling agency and got a call back within minutes.
Louis Evans is now an international model.
His career in the UK and Europe has taken off.
“’In places like Milan, Spain and Greece they adore red heads and put them on a pedestal.
“I like to think it’s the fact I’m slim, tall and have the face that’s got me noticed, but I think having red hair does make me different.” He told the Daily Mail.
He has now appeared in British Vogue, he has walked the catwalk at London Fashion Week and has been snapped up for Milan Fashion Week.
He has featured prominently in a campaign and a BBC show to combat the stigma and bullying around people with red hair – the Red Hot campaign.
His Mum says that she is proud of him – he has worked hard to meet his goals.
We just hope that those kids who teased him can see him now. Successful, confident and what makes us want to high-five the laptop – happy.
How much does that make you want to smile!
Top Comments
As someone who was tormented at school I loved reading this story!! Success is in the eye of the beholder. I am working in my dream role in Human Resources and have well out grown my dorky school days and feel that I a living the dream in my own personal way.
It's a shame that so many people see his personal success in a negative light.
My fiance has red hair and still gets teased to this very day, at 29 years of age. People think they're being funny and think that he'll go along with every joke/comment thrown his way, but after being on the receiving end his whole life, he's over it. At one point my hair was a little ginger (depends on the light some days) and we were walking done the street and some guy felt the need to yell out "AWW CHECK OUT THE TWO RANGAS WALKING DOWN THE STREET TOGETHER". Not nice. And not funny. Ranga is short for Orangutang. Why would anyone think that was funny?
Apparently if you're a red head, being yelled at across the street or being singled out in a group is fair game.
Funny thing is though, his mum says when he was a baby, women used to stop her on the street and want to touch his beautiful auburn hair and always said they wished they had that colour!
I love him regardless of what his hair colour is. And there's a good chance our babies will have his beautiful colouring. I hope they do!
YEP ... red hair and overweight/obese people seem to be the last two groups where it still seems socially acceptable to tease, ridicule and humiliate on a daily basis. People need to grow up.
You can't make judgements based on gender, that would be sexist. You can't make judgements on race/culture, that would be racist. You can't make judgements on people of differing sexual orientation, that's []insert appropriate word here].
But it's still OPEN SEASON on red-heads and people with weight problems!