{{Short description|British chef}} {{Infobox social media personality | name = Louis Makepeace | image = Louis Makepeace, 2023.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Makepeace in the Isle of Wight, 2023 | birth_name = Louis Roger W Makepeace | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2000|04|02}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Celebrating 25 Years |url=https://www.tiktok.com/@louis.makepeace/video/7483246462566944022 |website=TikTok |access-date=26 April 2025}}</ref> | birth_place = Worcester, Worcestershire, United Kingdom | death_date = | death_place = | nationality = | other_names = | education = Heart of Worcestershire College <small>"(performing arts)"</small><ref name="how">{{Cite web|url=https://feweek.co.uk/college-denies-learner-with-dwarfism-was-refused-place/|title=College denies learner with dwarfism was refused place, following national media reports|date=August 28, 2018|website=feweek.co.uk}}</ref> | occupation = | children = | parents = | mother = | father = | relatives = | tiktok_handle = https://www.tiktok.com/@louis.makepeace?lang=en | tiktok_display_name = Louis Makepeace | tiktok_years_active = 2022–present | tiktok_genre = | tiktok_followers = 117,000<ref>{{cite web |title=Louis Makepeace on TikTok |url=https://www.tiktok.com/@louis.makepeace?lang=en |website=TikTok |access-date=13 March 2026}}</ref> | stats_update = March 2026 }}
'''Louis Roger W Makepeace''' (born 2 April 2000) is a British internet personality with achondroplasia. Makepeace first gained attention in 2018 at the age of 18 when he hit national headlines after being refused a place on a cooking course at the Heart of Worcestershire College due to his height.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/20211251.louis-makepeace-cooking-storm-bbc-threes-hungry-big-zuu-stacey-dooley/|title=Worcester bartender cooking up a storm on BBC Three's Hungry For It|website=Worcester News|date=15 June 2022 }}</ref><ref name="how"></ref>
==Life== ===Early years=== Makepeace was born on 2 April 2000 and has achondroplasia, a type of dwarfism affecting his limbs. He is 3 ft 10 in (1.17 m) in height.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/bromsgrove/16692700.teen-dwarf-louis-makepeace-rejects-college-health-safety-risk-row/|title=Teen dwarf Louis Makepeace rejects college after "health and safety risk" row|website=Worcester News|date=6 September 2018 }}</ref>
==="Health and safety risk" due to height=== Makepeace gained national attention in 2018 after sharing that the Heart of Worcestershire College had refused him a place on a cooking course due to his condition and had claimed that he was a "health and safety hazard" and that he would cause "disruption" to the other fourteen students undertaking the course.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/dwarf-banned-college-cooking-course-louis-makepeace-teen-health-and-safety-worcestershire-college-a8509571.html|title=This dwarf has been 'banned' from a college cooking course because he's 'a health and safety risk'Dwarf 'banned' from college cooking course because he is 'a health and safety risk'|date=August 29, 2018|website=The Independent}}</ref> Makepeace's mother, Pauline, reported that the college had told Louis that there was "no point in him doing the course as he would never be allowed to work in a commercial kitchen" due to his short stature.<ref name="auto1"/>
Makepeace had branded the incident involving him and the college as "highly humiliating", saying that the rejection from the college had highlighted his differences amongst his peers and had "embarrassed" him for being short, along with making him question his future aspirations to become a chef.<ref name="auto1"/> He claimed the college had told him that he would pose a risk to the other students in case he "got under their feet" and "in their way" which Makepeace described as "really humiliating".<ref name="auto1"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2018/08/27/dwarf-banned-from-college-cooking-course-because-he-would-get-under-peoples-feet-7885435/|title=Dwarf 'banned' from cooking course because he would 'get under peoples' feet'|first=Georgia|last=Diebelius|date=August 27, 2018}}</ref>
After the controversy Makepeace claimed that his confidence was badly damaged. He felt that people "just stared and laughed" at him. He also noted that some people treated him as they would a small child, disparaging him by doing things like pushing in front of him in queues. Makepeace stated that all he wanted was to be able to "do normal stuff" without being laughed at because of his height.<ref name="auto1"/>
In response, the college rejected the claims made by Makepeace and his mother Pauline and claimed that they had not discriminated against Makepeace because of his short stature. A spokesperson for the college said that Makepeace, after discussing the incident, had declined the college's new acceptance offer and had expressed that he no longer wished to study there.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/16692052.worcester-teen-louis-makepeace-rejects-college-row/|title=Worcester teen Louis Makepeace rejects college after row|website=Worcester News|date=6 September 2018 }}</ref>
===Recognition following height controversy=== Following national publication of the controversy between Makepeace and the college due to his height, Makepeace received attention from celebrity chefs such as Gordon Ramsay, who offered Makepeace an apprenticeship.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gordon-ramsay-teenager-dwarfism-apprenticeship-twitter-louis-makepeace-a8512331.html|title=Gordon Ramsay 'offers' teen with dwarfism apprenticeship after he's rejected from college for 'being a safety risk'|date=August 29, 2018|website=The Independent}}</ref><ref name="i981">{{cite web | title=Gordon Ramsay offers apprenticeship to college 'snub' teen | website=BBC News | date=28 August 2018 | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-45329454 | access-date=14 March 2026}}</ref> Ramsay said the way that Makepeace had been treated by the college was "disgusting" and that he would "offer him an apprenticeship any day"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2018/08/28/dwarf-banned-from-college-cooking-course-gets-job-offer-from-gordon-ramsay-7889563/|title=Dwarf 'banned from college cooking course' gets job offer from Gordon Ramsay|first=Zoe|last=Drewett|date=August 28, 2018}}</ref>
===Cookery=== On 13 September 2018 Makepeace began working as a chef in the Michelin star restaurant Pied à Terre, working alongside head chef Asimakis Chaniotis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/bbcherefordandworcester/photos/a.117531074985976/2231026613636401/|title=BBC Hereford & Worcester - Louis Makepeace from Worcester, who says he was told he couldn't study catering at his local college because of his size, has been offered complimentary training at one of London's top restaurants. The 18-year-old, who has dwarfism, has been to Pied a Terre Restaurant today to meet the Head Chef Asimakis Chaniotis. | Facebook|website=www.facebook.com}}</ref> In 2022 Makepeace appeared in the BBC Three cooking competition ''Hungry For It''.<ref name="p209">{{cite web | last=Chaudhari | first=Shivani | title=Worcester bartender cooking up a storm on BBC Three's Hungry For It | website=Worcester News | date=15 June 2022 | url=https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/20211251.louis-makepeace-cooking-storm-bbc-threes-hungry-big-zuu-stacey-dooley/ | access-date=14 March 2026}}</ref><ref name="b289">{{cite web | title=Aspiring chef: 'Small or tall, I'm the same standard as everyone else in the kitchen' | website=BBC Three | date=17 June 2022 | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/6f7a9121-d513-4e93-b76e-c546dd0ca751 | access-date=14 March 2026}}</ref>
==Personal life==
Makepeace is 3 ft 10 in tall.<ref>{{cite web |title=Louis Makepeace |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gordon-ramsay-teenager-dwarfism-apprenticeship-twitter-louis-makepeace-a8512331.html |website=independent.co.uk |access-date=26 April 2025}}</ref> In a video posted to his TikTok account in April 2025, Makepeace states that his shoe size is a Junior Size 4.<ref>{{cite web |title=Worlds Largest Shoe - Louis Makepeace |url=https://www.tiktok.com/@louis.makepeace/video/7488388361598668054?lang=en |website=TikTok |access-date=26 April 2025}}</ref> However, a video dating from 2023 shows a new pair of Crocs labelled Junior Size 3.<ref>{{cite web |title=D A Y I N T H E L I F E 👣 How we doing everyone? |url=https://www.tiktok.com/@louis.makepeace/video/7263947887653047584?lang=en |website=TikTok |access-date=26 April 2025}}</ref> This could be attributed to different brands having different shoe sizes.
==Filmography== * ''Hungry For It'' (Contestant, 2022)
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20230509033227/https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/chefs/louis_makepeace Louis Makepeace recipes]
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Makepeace, Louis}} Category:Living people Category:British people with dwarfism Category:People from Worcester, England Category:British people with disabilities