Rory McPhee spent years working quietly behind the chair before his name suddenly appeared in headlines across the world. As the husband of former Spice Girl Melanie Brown, better known as Mel B, Rory McPhee has gone from a respected Leeds hairstylist to one of the most talked-about partners in British celebrity culture.
This article covers everything worth knowing about Rory McPhee: his age, his relationship with Mel B, his role as a stepfather, his career as a hairdresser and salon owner, and a realistic look at his net worth. Whether you found him through Mel B’s Instagram or through wedding headlines from St Paul’s Cathedral, here’s the full picture.
Who Is Rory McPhee?
Rory McPhee is a British hairstylist, salon owner and hair educator from Leeds, West Yorkshire. He built his reputation as a specialist in curly and textured hair, working with well-known haircare brands and training under respected industry names before he ever appeared in a tabloid headline.
He co-founded several salons in and around Leeds and Ilkley, including Rory James Salon, RJ Mens, and LAB, and has served as a brand ambassador and educator for Redken International and Lee Stafford Education. Long before Mel B became his client, then his friend, then his wife, Rory McPhee had already carved out a solid career purely on the strength of his scissors and colour work.
What makes Rory McPhee’s story stand out isn’t just the celebrity marriage, it’s how ordinary the beginning was. He wasn’t chasing fame. He was simply good at his job, and one particularly famous client happened to need his help at exactly the right moment in her life.
Rory McPhee Age and Background
So how old is Rory McPhee? He was born on 31 May 1988 in Leeds, England, which makes him 38 as of mid-2026. His Rory McPhee age has become a frequent search term partly because of the noticeable gap between him and his wife, Mel B was born in May 1975, meaning she’s around 13 years older than her husband.
Rory McPhee’s mother, Susan McPhee, also worked as a hairdresser, which suggests his career path may have been shaped early by family influence. He grew up in Yorkshire and has stayed rooted there throughout his professional life, running his salon businesses close to home rather than relocating for celebrity clientele.
Despite marrying into one of the most recognisable pop culture families in the world, Rory McPhee has kept much of his personal history private. Details about his schooling and early training are limited, which fits with someone who built a career through hands-on hairdressing work rather than public self-promotion.
How Rory McPhee Met Mel B
The relationship between Rory McPhee and Mel B didn’t start as a romance, it started as a professional connection with deep roots in mutual friendship. Rory was already a family friend, having known Mel B’s cousin, actor Christian Cooke, since childhood. That connection meant Rory and Mel B had crossed paths for years before anything romantic developed.
Their bond deepened after Mel B’s difficult divorce from Stephen Belafonte in 2017. She has spoken openly about returning to Leeds afterwards and having Rory step in, quite literally, to repair her damaged hair. In her own words, that process became about more than styling, it became part of rebuilding her trust and her belief in love again.
The pair began dating in 2018, got engaged in October 2022 after three years together, and Rory proposed at Cliveden House, one of Mel B’s favourite hotels. He reportedly asked her late father for permission beforehand, a detail Mel B has described as deeply meaningful given how much she lost when her father passed away in 2017.
The Wedding: Two Ceremonies, One Marriage
Mel B and Rory McPhee married in July 2025, choosing St Paul’s Cathedral in London for their main ceremony on 5 July 2025 — the same cathedral where Princess Diana and Prince Charles married in 1981. Guests included Emma Bunton, Cara Delevingne, Daisy Lowe and comedian Katherine Ryan, with reports suggesting the reception at The Shard cost around £28,000.
Notably, not all of Mel B’s Spice Girls bandmates attended. Victoria Beckham, Geri Halliwell and Melanie Chisholm were absent, though Victoria sent a warm public message of support on Instagram.
The couple later held a second, more intimate ceremony at the Selman Marrakech hotel in Morocco. Mel B explained the choice was sentimental rather than simply romantic, Morocco was the last place she holidayed with her father before he died of cancer in 2017, making the location deeply personal to her.
Rory McPhee Kids: Is He a Father?
A lot of people search for Rory McPhee kids expecting to find biological children, but the reality is a little different. Rory McPhee does not have any children of his own. Instead, he has stepped into the role of stepfather to Mel B’s three children from her previous relationships.
Mel B’s children are:
- Phoenix Chi Gulzar, born in 1999, from her marriage to dancer Jimmy Gulzar
- Angel Iris Murphy Brown, born in 2007, from her relationship with actor Eddie Murphy
- Madison Brown Belafonte, born in 2011, from her marriage to Stephen Belafonte
Mel B has said her daughters “adore” Rory, and all three served as bridesmaids at the London wedding, with Phoenix wearing a dress gifted by Victoria Beckham. For a blended family shaped by some genuinely difficult past relationships, the warmth between Rory and his stepdaughters has been a consistently positive thread in how the couple’s story is told.
Rory McPhee’s Career as a Hairstylist
Rory McPhee’s professional reputation rests on genuine technical skill, not celebrity association. He specialises in curly and textured hair, an area of hairdressing that requires particular expertise and patience, and this focus has become something of a signature for him.
Key points of his career include:
| Area | Detail |
|---|---|
| Specialism | Curly and textured hair |
| Salons | Rory James Salon, RJ Mens, LAB |
| Brand partnerships | Redken International, Lee Stafford Education |
| Base | Leeds and Ilkley, West Yorkshire |
| Notable clients | Mel B, among others in the beauty and entertainment world |
He has worked as both a stylist and an educator, training other hairdressers through Lee Stafford’s programmes as well as running his own salon operations. This dual role, practising hairdresser and industry educator, has given Rory McPhee credibility that goes beyond simply being “Mel B’s husband.”
Rory McPhee Net Worth: How Much Is He Worth?
Estimates of Rory McPhee net worth generally sit between $1 million and $2 million (roughly £800,000 to £1.6 million), built through his salon businesses, brand ambassador work, and years of professional hairdressing rather than any single windfall.
His income streams appear to include:
- Ownership stakes in multiple salons across Leeds and Ilkley
- Brand ambassador and educator fees from Redken and Lee Stafford
- Styling work for high-profile clients
- Increased visibility and opportunities following his marriage to Mel B
It’s worth noting that Rory McPhee net worth figures circulating online are estimates rather than confirmed financial records, since neither he nor Mel B have publicly disclosed exact figures. The couple reportedly live in a country property in Yorkshire valued at over £2 million, which gives some indication of their combined financial comfort, though this reflects household wealth rather than Rory’s individual net worth alone.
Frequently Asked Questions About Rory McPhee
How old is Rory McPhee? Rory McPhee was born on 31 May 1988, making him 38 years old as of 2026.
Does Rory McPhee have children? No, he has no biological children. He is stepfather to Mel B’s three children: Phoenix, Angel and Madison.
How did Rory McPhee meet Mel B? They met through mutual family connections, including Mel B’s cousin Christian Cooke, and later became close after Rory helped restore her hair following her 2017 divorce.
What does Rory McPhee do for a living? He is a professional hairstylist, salon co-owner, and hair educator specialising in curly and textured hair.
What is Rory McPhee’s net worth? Estimates place his net worth between $1 million and $2 million, largely built through his salon businesses and brand partnerships.
Final Thoughts
Rory McPhee’s story is a reminder that not every high-profile relationship begins with fame chasing fame. He built a genuine career as a skilled hairdresser and businessman long before Mel B became part of his life, and that foundation is part of why their relationship has been described as steady, grounded and refreshingly private compared to some of her past partnerships.
From quietly running Yorkshire salons to marrying a Spice Girl at St Paul’s Cathedral, Rory McPhee has managed to stay recognisably himself throughout. If his story has caught your attention, it’s worth following his professional work on Instagram to see the curly-hair expertise that started it all.
