Musician Chris Fox shaves Times journalist & senior Labour AM to win St David’s Day Beard of Wales

Beard Liberation Front

Press release, 28th February

Contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

Musician Chris Fox shaves Times journalist & senior Labour AM to win Beard of Wales for 2^nd time

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The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that the vote for St David’s Day Beard of Wales 2018 has seen Thee Faction musician Chris Fox shave, Times journalist Grant Tucker and senior Labour Assembly politician Huw Irranca-Davies for the annual accolade.

Percentages of the poll were as follows:

Chris Fox 43%

Grant Tucker 30%

Huw Irranca-Davies 18%

The poll aims to determine the St David’s Day Beard of Wales, the Welsh beard that offers the most positive national image.

The campaigners say that images of St David suggest that the Welsh Saint himself may have had an organic beard.

Chris Fox is well known as a member of Thee Faction who style themselves as a socialist R’n’B band and have played benefits for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Welsh rugby prop Adam Jones won the Award in 2013, voted for by BLF supporters, just shaving former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. Another rugby player Leigh Halfpenny won in 2014. In 2015 the Award went to Thee Faction musician Chris Fox in 2016 footballer Joe Ledley and in 2017 to Charcutier Illtud Llyr Dunsford

It is the sixth time the Award has been given following the traditional UK Beard of the Year at the end December each year and the BLF says it is a mark of Wales as a modern nation on St David’s Day that beards are now playing an increasingly significant role in national life, the rugby side being an important example.

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, Chris Fox left it late but we congratulate him on being the first to win the Beard of Wales twice. We offer our commiserations to the runners-up both of whom are excellent examples of positive Welsh hirsuteness

Beard of Wales 2018

Alun Wyn Jones, rugby player

Illtud Llyr Dunsford  , charcutier

Paul Flynn, politician

Chris Elmore, politician

Chris Fox, musician

Michael Sheen,actor

Tom Jones, singer

Grant Tucker, Times journalist

Joe Ledley, footballer

Gruff Rhys, musician

Hefin David, politician

Huw Irranca-Davies, politician

Warren Gatland, rugby manager

Gwilym Pugh, model