British presenter Neil Buchanan was suspected of being the street artist Banksy 5 years ago.
Who is it about? Art Attack was a children’s show in Germany hosted by Benedikt Weber, loved by many children between 1998 and 2007. The show was based on its British original of the same name. In the British version, the show was presented by host Neil Buchanan, who was also the creator.
In 2020, the internet believed it knew that Neil Buchanan had a secret identity, that of street artist Banksy. There are some speculations about his true identity, which have never been confirmed.
Internet makes assumptions, presenter responds
Presenter said to be Banksy: The “evidence” spoke for itself according to users on the internet. There are numerous threads, including on Reddit, discussing why Neil Buchanan might be behind Banksy.
The internet speculated that Neil Buchanan was the street artist for the following reasons:
- Neil Buchanan’s band: The British presenter also had a band besides Art Attack, with which he frequently performed at various locations. Clever users discovered that he often played shows with his band where artworks by Banksy appeared shortly before or after.
- Role in another children’s show: In the children’s television series ZZZap!, Neil Buchanan played the role of a mute French artist. In the early seasons, he was not credited in the ending, so to speak, undercover.
- His big Art Attacks: In the show Art Attack, Neil Buchanan repeatedly demonstrated how he could create large artworks using everyday objects like socks, leaves, or cardboard. Here, internet users saw parallels to Banksy’s style, who also created large artworks.
How serious or ironic these “evidences” were meant is debatable. However, it was enough for the presenter to feel compelled to write a statement.
Neil Buchanan responds to speculations: In September 2020, Neil Buchanan addressed the speculations on his website with a statement:
Neil Buchanan IS NOT Banksy. We were overwhelmed with inquiries about the current social media story over the weekend. Unfortunately, this website does not have the infrastructure to answer all these inquiries individually, but we can confirm that there is no truth to the rumor.
Neil Buchanan via BBC
Who Banksy really is remains unconfirmed to this day, although there are, like in Neil Buchanan’s case, some various hints about the true identity.
Even the German presenter Benedikt Weber had more or less a secret for years. The hands seen in the crafting clips were not his. A “mistake” he wants to correct almost 20 years later on YouTube: The hero of your childhood misled you, almost 20 years later he is making it right on YouTube
