LONDON (Reuters) - With just days to go to a referendum on whether Britain should stay in the European Union, the leading figure in the campaign to quit the bloc was at the centre of a media storm on Sunday -- about whether or not he dyes his hair.
Boris Johnson, the former mayor of London famed for his comic wit and instantly recognisable in Britain and beyond thanks to his dishevelled platinum mop, was quoted in an interview in the Sunday Times magazine as answering "yes" when asked if it was dyed.
As is the case with U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, Johnson's hair is his most distinguishing physical feature. It has been a topic of media speculation during his rise from journalist to TV personality to political A-lister.
The revelation in the interview immediately became a talking point in political TV chat shows and on social media, but Johnson's sister Rachel, a well-known media personality, swiftly cast doubt on its accuracy.
"The Boris hair dye reveal is a massive headline-grabbing wind-up. All Johnsons are natural blondes!" she said on Twitter.
Shortly afterwards, Johnson, 51, was reported as saying that he had been joking when he said yes to the hair dye question.
"I do remember saying 'yes' in what was a satirical voice. I remember thinking 'God I hope he doesn't take that seriously,'" he was quoted as saying by the interview's author on Twitter.
Asked where the truth lay on the vexed issue, Johnson's official spokesman said: "Of course Boris doesn't dye his hair."