Britain’s most tattooed man says kids in Tesco point, stare and call him “scary” because of his extreme appearance.
Matthew Whelan – who has changed his name to King Of Inkland King Body Art The Extreme Ink-ite – is rarely left alone.
The 42-year-old has mixed feelings about constantly catching people’s eye – but said it was to be expected when your face is covered in ink.
In an exclusive interview with Daily Star, the man known as Body Art said: “People staring at me doesn’t really affect me.
“As a species humans are quite judgemental anyway, not everyone will be but it’s just in our DNA and the nature of the beast.
“It depends where I am in the world but it can even happen on my own doorstep if there’s someone I don’t know or if it's a child."
He added: “If I’m in Tesco or something a child might point and say ‘look scary man’.
“But generally the feeling of being scared is you would run away and hide – but instead the kids are just staring and ogling so I’m not really a scary man to them.”
The body modification and tattoo addict has more than 90 per cent of his body covered in colourful ink.
And in 2016 he broke his own record by having 36 different artists tattoo his body at the same time.
He has also made extravagant alterations to his body – including inking his eyes and having his nipples removed.
Now, because of his eye-popping appearance, he is usually the centre of attention.
Body Art, from Birmingham, said: “Do I like it? Yes and no. It is a strange thing because I would like to be a colourful shadow just blending in but when you are a big colourful comedian like me it is hard.
“On a night out for example you want to give people the courtesy if they ask a question but when you’re out with your friends and they have heard the questions a thousand times it gets a bit much.”
The tattoo fan, who was stabbed in 2009 over his body art, added: “People stop and ask me questions for five minutes but when you have those conversations 100 times a night it adds up.
“It is things like that people don’t take into account.
“I will always get strangers coming up asking what was the most painful and how expensive they were.”
And as for online trolling, he said: "People will post a load of crap on my pictures sometimes just because my appearance is different – but I'm a bouncy character and it doesn't really affect me."
Body Art wanted to get tattoos ever since he was nine-years-old – but he said he never intended to become Britain’s most tattooed man.
He explained: “I never set out for a title. The journey found me and I’ve just ridden this journey and lifestyle.
“For me it has always been a lifestyle ever since the age of nine when I wanted them.
“I didn’t know I would be covered in them one day.”
He got his first one aged 16 and said he was influenced after travelling overseas to New Zealand and Australia as a child to visit family.
The then youngster was fascinated by the Maori tattoos he encountered and his dad also had military inkings.
“I’ve never been good at drawing but I just love the fact that art can go on the body,” Body Art, who grew up to be Britain’s most tattooed man, concluded.
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