Art Attack’s Neil Buchanan was forced to respond to rumours he’s actually Banksy
Published
| Last updated
Neil Buchanan was arguably one of the most memorable personalities from our childhoods.
Best known for his iconic appearance on the British kids' show, Art Attack, it's clear that Buchanan is one of the most recognisable faces in art and children's telly.
So, it's come as a pretty big surprise for fans of the 66-year-old after rumours began to spread that he was secretly one of the world's most elusive artists - the mysterious and faceless icon that is Banksy.
The allegations got so intense that the TV star was once forced to address to rumour mill and, once and for all, put to bed the crazy claims.
There really wasn't much evidence at all other than a fantastical tweet shared by a user called 'Scouseman' - which is more likely to be an alter-ego of Buchanan than Banksy.
The tweet read: "Just heard that it's rumoured Neil Buchanan is Banksy. If true, it's the funniest s**t ever. Aintree's finest.
"He's a musician and art has followed in the cities of shows he's done allegedly.
"This is straight in the 'believe without question' category."
That's some ropey proof at best but with the internet being the internet, it wasn't long before it gained traction and went viral.
One person responded: "YES PLEASE. Am not reading any more about this and this is going to be my truth from now."
Another added: "They say not to believe everything you read online but I 100 percent believe this. Don't even need to look up the cities for confirmation. Neil is Banksy, Banksy is Neil."
The furore ultimately led to whoever runs Buchanan's official site releasing a statement denying it all.
"Neil Buchanan is NOT Banksy", the statement read, setting the record straight once and for all.
It continued: "We have been inundated with enquiries over the weekend regarding the current social media story.
"Unfortunately this website does not have the infrastructure to answer all these enquiries, individually, however we can confirm that there is no truth in the rumour whatsoever.
"Neil spent lockdown with vulnerable members of his family and is now preparing to launch his new art collection in 2021.
"Thank you and please stay safe."
As to who is Banksy, the search goes on, but a strong theory is that it's in fact Rob Del Naja of trip-hop group Massive Attack.
In a 2017 interview conducted by Scroobius Pip with DJ Goldie, the latter seemed to reveal Banksy's real name as 'Rob'.
Goldie said: "For something like graffiti, which has inspired the world with font or anything to do with anyone wearing a baseball cap and sneakers, at its centre, it is still misunderstood.
"But give me a bubble letter and put it on a T-shirt and write Banksy on it and we're sorted... We can sell it now.
"No disrespect to Rob, I think he is a brilliant artist. I think he has flipped the world of art over."
However, as of now, we still don't know who it is and the legend of Banksy continues...
Featured Image Credit: ITV/Giuseppe Anello / Alamy Stock Photo
Topics: Banksy, Art, TV and Film
