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(Image: KA)

Karen Clifton has broken down in tears in an emotional video shared to Instagram after being turned away from a barbershop for "being a woman".

The Strictly Come Dancing professional, 36, took to her Instagram stories to claim she was turned away from Jacks of London barbershop in the capital because the owner "doesn’t cut women’s hair".

Despite having her hair cut at the establishment twice before, Karen told her fans: "I don't ever really do posts like this but I thought this was really important because this has never really happened to me before. I just went to get my haircut to a barbers, Jacks of London.

(Image: Karen Clifton/Instagram) (Image: Karen Clifton/Instagram)

"I had gotten my haircut there before just on the sides, a fade, it's my new look. I had been there twice before. I went over today to get a haircut and they said I wasn't allowed to because I was a woman."

She added: "I was like, ‘what? I've been here before’. And they said, ‘no, the owner doesn't allow women to get their hair cut here.’

"And I felt really c**p because this has never happened to me before. The fact that I was a woman and couldn't get my hair cut because it's all male. What are we, in the stone ages? It really affected me. I'm not getting anything fancy done. Even if I was, the fact that I was turned away because, no women allowed."

(Image: Splash News)

Karen also tweeted that the incident left her feeling like she was "punched right in the pit of her stomach".

In a statement, Jacks of London said: "Earlier this morning TV celebrity Karen Clifton was informed that Jacks of London does not cater for women. Her experience has alerted us to the need to make it explicit to our entire team that Jacks of London does give barber cuts to everyone, regardless of gender.

"However, we must also emphasise that Jacks of London is a barber store, specialising in barber cuts. Later this year it will celebrate 25 years as a traditional store for men who do not want to go to a hair salon, preferring, instead, to hang out where there are wall-to-wall sports, video games and clippers buzzing.

(Image: Karen Clifton/Instagram)

"The Jacks of London brand is now synonymous with quality service and outstanding barbering and so, increasingly, women are coming to us for technical cuts by our award-winning barbers. Indeed, Karen Clifton has had her short hair done twice before at our store without event. But these are specific styles.

"Many of our barbers have had hairdressing and barber training, but not all. Barbers and hairdressers require different skills and training; a hairdresser may stumble over cutting a pattern in a fade while a barber would struggle to cut a bob.

"This is why there tends to be a gender divide between hair salons and barbershops, but for anyone of any gender who wants an undercut, as Karen currently sports, a tight fade or a short, back and sides, Jacks of London barbers CAN AND WILL deliver."