’90 Day Fiance’ Star ‘Big Ed’ Brown Surprises With Drastic Hair Makeover

90 Day Fiancé star Big Ed Brown is embracing his new hairdo after chopping off his signature long dark locks in favor of a shorter, salt and pepper look. Following the announcement of the TLC personality’s engagement to Liz Woods, The Single Life star’s dramatic hair makeover was previewed in a sneak peek of the upcoming season of the discovery+ spinoff.

“This has been my signature look for about three years, but it’s just a mess,” Brown says in the clip, telling the stylist he’s “excited” to get a total transformation while at the salon. “I’m ready for Big Ed 2.0 — better version,” Brown, 56, continues. “I’m tired of pretending I’m gonna look young. Honestly, I think it looks like I’m trying too hard. So, this is about Big Ed returning to who I am … myself.”

When the stylist asks why he decided to go for the big chop, Brown shared he had been in an emotional “black hole” for six weeks due to his split from Woods prior to their reconciliation. “It sucks,” he says. “It’s hard to walk away.” It’s then time for the big reveal, which totally stuns Brown. “Oh my God. I love it. I look 15 years younger,” Brown marvels in the mirror, declaring it a “fresh start” for him. 

Brown and Woods eventually did reconcile, with the reality couple announcing their engagement to PEOPLE Thursday. Brown revealed that during his time apart from Woods, he realized he “didn’t appreciate who she was” and “didn’t want to love anybody else.” He continued, “And never in a million years did I think that I would ever be together with Liz — it’s just surreal.” Going to therapy to improve himself was key to their relationship, Brown continued: “I wasn’t a good person, I wasn’t a good boyfriend. I wasn’t a good listener. That was all about me — I was so consumed with [myself],” he said.

Reconnecting after the death of Brown’s dog, Teddy, the two didn’t wait long before making it official. “I know in my heart that she’s my forever, and that’s all I need to know,” Brown said. “I don’t want to be with anybody else, I don’t want to think about anybody else.”