diff --git a/app/main/validators.py b/app/main/validators.py
index 076e06aea..e1292b959 100644
--- a/app/main/validators.py
+++ b/app/main/validators.py
@@ -28,10 +28,6 @@ def __init__(self, message="Not a csv file"):
         self.message = message
 
     def __call__(self, form, field):
-        if not Spreadsheet.approves_headers(field.data):
-            raise ValidationError(
-                f"{field.data.filename} does not have headers in row 1"
-            )
         if not Spreadsheet.can_handle(field.data.filename):
             raise ValidationError(
                 "{} is not a spreadsheet that Notify can read".format(
diff --git a/app/models/spreadsheet.py b/app/models/spreadsheet.py
index 55b1fa2cf..ece8e9b11 100644
--- a/app/models/spreadsheet.py
+++ b/app/models/spreadsheet.py
@@ -32,9 +32,6 @@ def as_csv_data(self):
                 self._csv_data = converted.getvalue()
         return self._csv_data
 
-    @classmethod
-    def approves_headers(cls, field_data):
-        raise Exception(f"Field data {field_data}")
 
     @classmethod
     def can_handle(cls, filename):
@@ -46,7 +43,11 @@ def get_extension(filename):
 
     @staticmethod
     def normalise_newlines(file_content):
-        return "\r\n".join(file_content.read().decode("utf-8").splitlines())
+        rows = file_content.read().decode("utf-8").splitlines()
+        if rows.get(0) is None or rows[0] == "":
+            raise Exception("No header row")
+        return "\r\n".join(rows)
+
 
     @classmethod
     def from_rows(cls, rows, filename=""):