It's not everyday that you find 'Boris Johnson's beard' trending on Google. The former prime minister might be famed for his unkept mop of blond hair, but the salt 'n pepper stubble is brand new.
It was first brought to the world's attention via his wife Carrie Johnson's Instagram page. Sharing pictures from their recent family holiday to their 'favourite place' in Greece, Carrie led the photo dump with Boris debuting his new beard wearing shark-themed swimming trunks and playing with their eldest daughter Romy.
The couple have four children together – Wilfred, five, Romy, four, Frank, two and Poppy, who was born in May – and appeared to be on holiday with other family and friends. The politician has nine children in total, including four with his ex-wife Marina Wheeler and one with his former mistress Helen McIntyre, though his exact number of offspring is unknown.
But that's old news anyway, the focus now is his facial hair. Following the social media post, a slew of headlines reading 'Boris Johnson stuns' and 'Boris Johnson is unrecognisable', analysing what his 'summer beard' means, have followed. The comments under Carrie's post are no different. 'Stunning... Boris looks like a new man,' wrote one user. 'I didn't recognise Boris at first,' wrote another. A third agreed, writing, 'Boris is a new man.'
The Telegraph have already called it a 'confident, elder statesmen-type beard – one that symbolises a newfound ease with life, a devil-may-care attitude and an appreciation that you might be losing the hair on your head, but the hair on your face can still grow'.
I hate to be the one to say it, but there's also a strong chance he just forgot to pack his razor on holiday. But whether you want to offer a GCSE English deep dive into Boris' stubble or simply take it at face value, it's certainly a break from norm for the former prime minister.
As the leader of the Conservative government between 2019 and 2022, who had a famously disastrous run through the pandemic, Boris has kept a relatively low profile since he left office. Save for his Daily Mail column and a memoir that failed to make an impact, the 61-year-old has had more time to focus on his family and his four young children in recent years.
Whether that signifies a 'devil-may-care attitude' or a 'new life' depends on who you're asking, but don't let the stubble fool you entirely. As celebrity stylist Sam McKnight told the Financial Times in 2022: 'Boris Johnson's hair is a disguise, a distraction.' There's every chance his beard is one too.
Nikki Peach is a writer at Grazia UK, working across entertainment, TV and news. She has also written for the i, i-D and the New Statesman Media Group and covers all things pop culture for Grazia (treating high and lowbrow with equal respect).