News from Discovery Real Time

BECKHAM’S TATTOOIST UNVEILS MASSIVE URBAN LANDMARK


LONDON, SEPTEMBER 18, 2007 - LOUIS Molloy, star of Discovery Real Time’s new show London Ink (10pm from 23rd Sept) has unveiled the UK ’s newest urban landmark – a gigantic, life-like statue of a man swimming through the grass next to Tower Bridge.

Louis, best known for being David Beckham’s personal tattooist and ‘inking’ the world’s most famous tattoo, his guardian angel, will add the finishing touches to the mammoth tattoo design.

In quirky Brit style Louis has created a tattoo motif of a beautiful Koi Carp lying on a bed of traditional fish and chips and splattered with salt and vinegar. He said: “The aim of the London Ink show is to make tattoos mainstream and change the stereotype of tattoos as only being for criminals and sailors. The huge statue is sure to be a major draw for tourists and Londoners, and get everyone talking about, and changing their opinions of tattoos.”

Reminiscent of movie ‘Attack of the 50 Ft Woman’ the statue at Tower Bridge is 46 feet long by 10 feet high and made out of reinforced polystyrene and hand painted to resemble human flesh.

The swimmer figure will be joined on Friday by a model of a giant-sized female crawling across the concourse at Victoria Station as she squeezes into a photo booth.

London Ink launches on Discovery Real Time on Sunday 23 September at 10pm.
About London Ink
London Ink is a cross between reality TV and a docu-soap that follows the drama of Britain's most exciting tattoo studio. The show shadows the fiery relationships between some of the country's best tattooists - mentored by Louis Molloy. The real life stories of people who come in to get tattooed offer a fascinating insight into why people get inked.

London Ink is the British arm of Discovery Real Times’ Ink franchise which kick-started with highly successful US series Miami Ink, now in its third series. LA Ink has also just finished filming in Los Angeles.

About Louis Molloy
Louis Molloy, is best known for being Beckham's tattooist. Louis has a long list of celebrity clients having 'inked' many of Britain's sporting heroes from Becks to Freddie Flintoff and Ian Wright. His great relationship with the Beckham's saw him ink the world's most photographed tattoo - Beckham's gigantic Guardian Angel, a tattoo he has been asked to repeat many times for members of the public the world over. From this first meeting he forged a strong bond with the couple and has tattooed Beckham another eleven times and Victoria as well. He has also tattooed other Brit pop stars and soap stars.

Photo call
Date: Tuesday 18th September
Time: 9.30am for a 9.45am start
Location: Pottersfield, Tower Bridge (between the mayor’s building and the bridge), SE1

The statues
The statue will be unveiled on 18th September and remain at the South Bank until 28th September when it will be moved to Greenwich. The statue at Victoria station will remain on Concourse One until the start of October.