It started as a carefree idea posted on social media, but in 493 days it grew into something far bigger than its creator expected.
Frank Ilet, also known as United Strand, posted a video on October 5, 2024, announcing that he would not get a haircut until the famous Manchester United football club had won five games in a row.
In the video, he posted a poll asking his followers, then relatively small in number, what they thought they would get a new haircut in: 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Of the 27.000 responses, 90 percent said 2026.
It seemed like everything would be over soon.
United have won four matches - Manchester City, Arsenal, Fulham, Tottenham - and only West Ham, the bottom club, remain in the relegation zone.
However, the match against the London club, played on February 10, 2026, ended 1:1 - Ilet's wait continues.
Not only has his hair grown quite a bit, but so has the number of followers on social media - there are now more than 2,3 million.
He commented live on YouTube on his club's match against West Ham., and was occasionally watched by more than 100.000 users of the video platform.
You should have seen the look on Ilet's face when West Ham scored.
More than 365 days, or a full year, since the challenge began, Ilett told BBC Sport that the "no win no save" concept was originally conceived as entertainment and "sharing optimism" during a frustrating period for United fans.
"I wanted to bring a little joy and fun to other Manchester United fans during this strange time for the club," he said.
According to Ilet, there was no grand plan - just enthusiasm and a football team in poor form.
"I thought it would be over in three or four months," Ilet told BBC Sport.
"It was supposed to be funny, and that would have been it. But it didn't quite turn out that way."
The last time United managed to achieve five consecutive victories was between January and February 2024.
"When the challenge started, it didn't seem like a long time ago," says Ilet.
United's longest streak without five consecutive wins lasted 902 days.
It ended in January 1999, and Ilet doesn't want to think about that statistic.
"I started the challenge thinking it was just a temporary dip in form, especially since United had won the FA Cup in May."
"I couldn't have imagined that it was actually worse and that it would last this long," he says.
As the months passed, the challenge evolved.
What started as a lighthearted video challenge has become a visible symbol of United's problems, with Ilet's hair being shared on social media as a weekly reminder of how low they have fallen.
"My hair is visual evidence of Manchester United's faltering and that the club is not where it should be."
"Therefore, I understand why the club hasn't contacted me, but I hope that as things progress and as we have a little more positive energy around the club, we will be in touch," he added.
With the growing attention came financial success, an increased number of followers and influence on the internet, and even responsibility he didn't expect.
"It's not about me anymore," he says.
"I have a lot of people following me, I can't just stop."
Ilet now has an agent who handles commercial affairs and collaborates with major media brands.
In other words, he makes money from hair growth.
When asked where he would like to get his dream haircut, Ilett tells BBC Sport that he has only one place in mind.
"It would be amazing if they would let me get my hair cut on the pitch at Old Trafford."
"And if one of the players cuts my hair or something like that... we'll see," he adds.
Watch the video: Smurfette - from village league to TikTok star
Most United fans only want one thing - for Ilet to get a haircut
One man and a long-awaited haircut.
But Ilet's long wait for the club to win five games in a row has become an unwanted irritation for Manchester United.
There was a time when it seemed United were ready to join in on the joke.
After all, they included a barbershop in the £50 million (around €57 million) training camp renovation.
What better way to have some fun?
Now, however, publicly and privately, they want nothing to do with it.
Captain Bruno Fernandes and coach Michael Carrick were in no mood to talk about Ilet's challenge after their fourth consecutive win.
Although Carrick, a former United player, admitted that his children told him about Frank Ilet's challenge about (not) getting a haircut.
Ilet's daily social media posts and "before" and "now" photos traveling the digital sphere were initially quite entertaining.
But they are also a reminder of how bad the team was in shape.
Ilet plans to donate her hair to charity and open a website Just Giving for a charity for children with cancer.
His initial goal of raising £500 (€574) for the Little Princess Foundation (Little Princess Trust) was significantly exceeded and by Tuesday afternoon it stood at 6.132 pounds (about 7.000 euros).
As far as attention-grabbing challenges go, Iletov didn't seem particularly shocking when he launched it.
Eight months before the challenge began, United had a five-game winning streak.
It was the 11th time that this had happened.
Among them is the end of the 2015/16 season and the start of the 2016/17 season, just under 11 years after retirement of legendary coach Alex Ferguson.
The longest streak dates back to January 25, 2019, when United made it eight consecutive wins after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's arrival, and ends a run of five wins in a row under the Norwegian in April 2021.
That says a lot about United's form... until Carrick was appointed as manager, who changed the formation of his predecessor Ruben Amorim, and turned the team into a winning one.
To put this into context, United's rivals from the so-called "big six" have all won five in a row in recent times.
Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool have done it this season, and London's Chelsea have already achieved it this year.
Even Tottenham, whose form has been terrible for 18 months, managed to do so at the start of last season, with United being one of the clubs they overcame.
However, some United fans don't appreciate Ilet's humor.
The club has banned a fan from Old Trafford indefinitely for an attack on Ilet during a match against Chelsea in September 2025.
Others objected to his participation in an advertisement for a major gambling company and the monetization of what was supposed to be a charitable gesture.
Ilet denied that he earned the aforementioned amounts.
However, many defend Frank Ilet and most react positively to him and his challenge.
The vast majority of United fans still want only one thing - for Ilet to get a haircut.
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