Manchester is playing host to the UK's biggest night in music, the Brit Awards 2026, and Maya Jama chose the occasion to pay homage to another cultural touchstone: Marilyn Monroe.
Dressed in a sweeping, floor-length, white sequin gown and faux fur stole, Maya looked every inch the Hollywood starlet. But it was the shape and style of her ‘modern Monroe bob’ that really sealed the likeness.
Not that Maya Jama is a stranger to a bob transformation. She has previously rocked a blunt, preppy, grown-out lob and a clavicle-grazing curly bob. Then, back in December 2025, the Love Island presenter went shorter still, revealing a shoulder-skimming bob with big bouncy waves. But the ‘modern Monroe bob’ has a whole different character energy and is a marked departure for Maya.
Marilyn Monroe's signature hairstyle was a bleached bob where the layers were wrapped in pin curls, then brushed out and back combed for maximum volume. Maya's iteration of the Monroe bob is more undone, but its DNA is still there in the shaping around the face, with some curls softly tucked under, and others playfully flicked out. The curls just aren't as tight and the volume isn't so concentrated on the crown, giving it a distinctly modern feel.
You could say Maya has moved the look away from vintage to pure screen siren, giving the ultimate nod to her TV persona and the nostalgic wave in beauty right now.
How to recreate the modern Monroe bob
The modern Monroe bob uses a similar technique to the modern set. "Curl your hair horizontally using a large barrel tong and then pin the curl back on itself to set it in place," Manchester-based hairstylist Melissa Timperley previously told Glamour. If you prefer, you can also wrap it around a roller and mist with hairspray to set it.
Before removing the pins or rollers, check that the hair is cool. “It's the cool-down that locks in the shape and stops the curl from dropping," says Michelle. Once the rollers or pins are removed, mist a texturising spray through the roots and brush out with a bristle brush.
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