Short answer: a bit, but almost certainly less than the number stuck in your head. The “you need thousands to get into Bitcoin” myth comes from people confusing the price of one whole coin with the cost of getting started. They’re not the same thing.
You can open an account and buy a few pounds’ worth today. I’d actually recommend starting small on purpose — treat your first buy as a way to learn the mechanics, not as an investment that has to perform. Once you’ve done one real transaction, the whole thing stops feeling mysterious.
If a small first buy is genuinely a stretch right now, that’s a sign to sort out an emergency fund before touching anything volatile. Bitcoin will still be here later. Read this for why the coin price isn’t your entry price, then the step-by-step when you’re ready.