A nine-time gold-medal winning Paralympian shot scenes for Channel 4’s Come Dine With Me at a Gants Hill salon while making sure he looked his best with a new haircut.

Lee Pearson CBE, who has dominated equestrian events since the Sydney Olympics, is a regular customer at the Uppercut hair salon in Cranbrook Road, Gants Hill.

But he gave the staff a surprise when he popped in for an appointment with a film crew at the start of the month.

He was filmed considering rivals’ menus for a forthcoming Paralympics special of the popular TV show, in which contestants host each other for dinner. He said: “I wanted to look my best for the filming of the show and also for when I will be competing, and I knew the girls at Uppercut would enjoy having a camera crew around.”

Lee took gold in the dressage, freestyle dressage and team dressage at the last three Games and will hope to maintain his record at the London Paralympic Games, which open on August 29.

He has arthrogryposis multiplex congenita which causes muscle weakness.

Manageress Lauren Paton said: “Hopefully he will bring another gold medal in with him on his next visit.”