Art Attack star Neil Buchanan unrecognisable with grey hair and beard 17 years since show axe
Neil Buchanan, famed for appearing on CITV's Art Attack, looks unrecognisable in new photos. The artist shot to fame on the children's TV show 17 years ago, having fronted Art Attack from its inception in 1990 until the show ended in 2007.
The popular show focused on teaching kids how to create art pieces and provided tips for getting creative at home. Art Attack boasted an impressive 19 series, including six Christmas specials and a variety of other shorts and specials. ITV sadly announced its cancellation in July 2007, but re-runs continued to air until May 30, 2011. Neil, now 68, went on to host shows such as Finders Keepers, Animal Crazy and It's a Mystery.
However, he soon turned his back on TV ventures and began focusing on his music career. Neil, who hails from Aintree, Liverpool, was in a heavy metal band called Marseille, which formed back in 1976. The band released four albums and six singles during their career, even touring America and performing with the likes of Judas Priest, Nazareth and Whitesnake.
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Marseille reformed in 2009 with a performance at The Cavern Club in Liverpool. However, lead vocalist Nigel Roberts announced in 2017 that Neil had stepped away from the band due to his consultancy work for kids television. Neil is still active in the art world and has his own website, which features his art collections and photography work. Fans can also purchase fine art prints from the former TV star online.
His art has attracted huge attention over the years, with him even having to deny his iconic street artist Banksy back in 2020. A statement shared to his website at the time read: "Neil Buchanan ISN'T Banksy. 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."
It added: "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."
It was rumoured earlier this year that Art Attack will be making a return to TV screens in 2025, but an foficial announcement is yet to come. Reports claimed the show was due to be rebooted with comedian Roemsh Ranganathan at the helm, but he was forced to deny the rumours on live TV.
Speaking on The One Show in September, he stated: "Thank you for asking me that, I'm not. I'm not bringing back Art Attack, what I have done though is been subjected to terrible levels of online abuse," he went on to add: "I just want to say to the camera, I am not doing Art Attack. I'm not replacing Neil Buchanan, I respect what he did. I would never step on his legacy in that way! Please stop at'ing me, alright."
