29-05-2025
Celebrity injector banned after ITV News investigation into liquid BBL procedures
A celebrity aesthetician, known for his work on Katie Price and reality stars, has been banned from carrying out any cosmetic procedures across England and Wales following a series of botched treatments exposed by ITV News.
Ricky Sawyer, who gained notoriety offering so-called "non-surgical BBLs", which involve the injection of dermal filler into the buttocks, has been handed a court injunction preventing him from practising until May 2028.
The ban follows an extensive investigation first launched by ITV News in 2023, which uncovered how Sawyer was performing high-risk procedures in unregulated settings, leaving women with life-changing injuries.
Our reports — which featured whistleblowers, victims, and undercover footage — were the first to expose his dangerous practices.
One of his clients, Louise Moller, told me she was "20 minutes from death", after developing sepsis as a result of her treatment.
Others reported tissue necrosis, severe infections, and enduring trauma after undergoing filler-based BBLs in places as informal as rented office blocks.
I spoke with Louise's mother, Janet who welcomes the ban. But she is calling for more to be done to overhaul the aesthetics industry.
"We absolutely welcome this. It's absolutely amazing and everything we were hoping for," Janet said. "But more could be done. We need justice for all the harm that has been caused.
"I am very disappointed and let down by the government. I don't understand what is holding the government up".
ITV News previously went undercover to expose unregulated Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) practices and discovered an alarming rise in the dangerous cosmetic procedure happening in the UK
Following our report a large number of women approached us with similarly alarming stories. Bonnie-Louise Cooper was one of them.
"Im so glad [Sawyer] has now been faced with a ban from carrying out this procedure," she told ITV News. "It will give us girls who have fallen victim to him some kind of peace, knowing he can't hurt anyone else, as we knew he wouldn't willingly stop anyway.
"It's a true shame that this ban is only until 2028," Bonnie added. "I'd still like him to face some kind of real punishment for all the girls he has caused harm too. I'd like that for all of us".
She's not the only one who is calling for more to be done.
Despite previous prohibition notices from councils in Essex, Glasgow, and Greater Manchester, Sawyer continued operating under new business names.
His social media pages boasted celebrity endorsements and before-and-after shots — masking the reality that many of his procedures went seriously wrong.
Undercover footage from inside a one-day training course in "fat reduction" procedures at Luxury Medical Aesthetics in Clapham
Now, after a successful legal case brought by Trafford Council, a judge has banned Sawyer from administering any aesthetic treatments or possessing medical equipment unless prescribed for personal use.
A power of arrest has been attached to key parts of the order, meaning police can detain him immediately if he breaks the injunction.
A spokesperson for Trafford Council said: 'As a local authority we work hard to protect our residents from harm, and this includes potentially injurious cosmetic procedures.
"Trafford Council obtained evidence that the procedures offered by Mr Sawyer in unhygienic popup venues including Air BnBs and rented offices had resulted in serious infections and complications which had required emergency lifesaving surgery in some cases.
'The Council also has evidence that Mr Sawyer has breached prohibition notices which would have prevented him setting up pop up events. As a result, the injunction was obtained on May 28, 2025. We urge anyone seeking this type of treatment or others to look to the NHS for advice and report any concerns to their council.'
This ruling is the latest development in a growing scandal around unregulated aesthetic procedures in the UK.
