Where is Neil Buchanan now and what are the Banksy rumours?
KIDS of the 90s will fondly remember the colourful jumper wearing Neil Buchanan on CITV show Art Attack.
Thirty years on since the show burst on to our screens, he is now rumoured to be the famous anonymous street artist, Banksy.
Who is Neil Buchanan?
Neil shot to fame in the 80s when he co-hosted ITV Saturday morning show No. 73 and its successor Motormouth.
In 1990, he then landed his very own show, Art Attack, which ran for 17 years.
The show, which encouraged children to draw, paint and paper mache until their heart's content, was so popular it won a Bafta TV Award.
Neil became known for his eternally cheerful demeanour and catchphrase, “Now try it for yourself”.
He said about reviving his rock band Marseille: “I'm a musician first - that's what runs through my blood.
“I was a failed rock star first time around... So getting five fortysomethings back together into the music business, which is dead, in a genre of music that hasn't been heard of since the dinosaurs… that's been my greatest achievement.”
The former kids’ TV host ditched his colourful red sweatshirt and stowed away his PVA glue to concentrate on his first passion – music.
Neil, now 58, is busy rocking out with his heavy metal band, Marseille.
Neil briefly returned to our TV screens in 2012 as a contestant on Celebrity Juice.
What are the Banksy rumours?
In September 2020, a conspiracy theory claiming that Neil was the secretive UK street artist Banksy went viral.
Banksy’s identity has famously remained unknown to the public.
A new theory has been proposed that he is in fact the former Art Attack host Buchanan.
The rumour began to circulate in early September when a Twitter user suggested it was “rumoured” that Buchanan was in fact the mind behind artworks like Balloon Girl and Love is in the Bin.
“Just heard that it’s rumoured Neil Buchanan is Banksy,” they wrote.
“If true, it’s the funniest s*** ever. Aintree’s finest… This is straight in the believe without question category.”
They explained that the theory was given credibility by the fact that Buchanan, like Banksy, is a musician - a former member of heavy metal band Marseille - and “art has followed in cities of shows he’s done allegedly”.
What did Neil Buchanan say about the Banksy rumours?
Neil issued an unequivocal denial of the rumour he is Banksy on his website.
The statement reads: ";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."
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