A savvy mum has turned her hairdressing hobby into a full-time job - and now makes £30k doing celebrity dos.

Sophie Clarke, 32, was happy as a stay-at-home mum before she discovered her love for party hairdressing.

Both of her children are boys but, when her niece asked her to jazz up her hair in April 2022, she realised she had talent.

Other parents saw the girl's hair and within days they were messaging Sophie over to work her magic.

And just a week later she had been lined up to braid hair at the home of TV host and popstar Rochelle Humes.

Sophie says she has since worked at numerous celebrity parties - and has even jetted off to Monaco.

Sophie, who charged £20 for her first hair do, says her business now has an annual turnover of £30,000.

This has helped her and recruiter fiancé Robert Hayes, 32, buy their family home in Chelmsford.

She said: "I've literally gone from making £20 in my sitting room to a business with an annual turnover of £30,000 in eight months.

"If there’s something that you are good at and passionate about I really really believe from the bottom of my heart that you can turn that into a thriving business.

"We’re in a cost of living crisis and people think they don’t have any options. But you can - find a way to earn as much or as little as you like."

Sophie, who worked as an estate agent before staying home to look after Harry, now three, and Oliver, one, has officially registered her business Mini Peas Hair Club.

She hasn't had any training but adds in braided, coloured synthetic hair that guests can take home as a keepsake.

Sophie had done six hairstyles for parties before posting pictures on Instagram, she said.

Then, on April 22, a woman she could do a party for her friend Rochelle and her daughter.

Sophie, who hadn't done a whole party before, said yes and spent a week preparing.

And, few days before, she realised she was working for ex-Saturdays member Rochelle Humes, 33.

Sophie's business took off after the singer thanked her on Instagram, and she started learning about the algorithm so she could tag the right people to boost her trade.

She says she now works a party every weekend, and has worked for numerous other high-value clients She's travelled out to Monaco, and has enquiries from customers in LA and Sweden.

Her most expensive party - working on 40 people - came in at £4,000, including travel and accommodation for her team.

Sophie said of her new business: "This really wasn't what I expected. It just snowballed overnight.

"On Instagram I just wrote I was available for hire, I just thought I'd take a punt, I had nothing to lose.

"It was pretty daunting after being a stay-at-home mum for four years.

"I had to learn fast. I didn't even know what to charge and you can lose business very quickly by charging too little or too much."

"I'm just really talented at this - and there's always something you're really good at that someone else needs.

"I just said yes to everything and modified my business model as I went along.

"My life has changed massively and I love it. I have my weeks with the kids and I work the weekends.

"The kids reactions at the parties are amazing. They love the hair so much - often they don't want to take it out for days."