The much-debated subject of Bristol street artist Banksy's true identity took another turn when Stephen Merchant appeared on the sofa of this evening's The One Show. The comedian and screenwriter was talking about the new series of The Outlaws, which airs at 9pm on Sunday (June 5).
The Bristol-born funnyman was a guest on the show, presented by Ronan Keating and Emma Willis, alongside BBC Radio 2 veteran Ken Bruce. The comedian's hit crime thriller comedy, set in Bristol, follows the escapades of seven strangers from different walks of life who are forced together to do community service.
The series finale ended with a scene featuring legendary Hollywood actor Christopher Walken painting over an original Banksy. The mysterious artist visited the set specifically to draw the mural.
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The inclusion of Banksy in The Outlaws led to The One Show presenters asking whether Merchant was in fact the legendary artist. Merchant, who stands at 6ft 8in tall, replied: "I'm not going to confirm or deny that. But his art is usually quite high up."
Stephen Merchant also revealed his wayward student days while an undergraduate at Warwick University. "I'd like to apologise to the people of Coventry," he said, before admitting a drunken incident in which he groped the naked bronze statue of the city's Lady Godiva. "It's something I'm not proud of, but it was the nineties when things were different," he joked. "I've gone straight ever since."
The programme also showed a funny clip of Merchant answering a correct question as a contestant on the Blockbusters quiz show in the nineties. "I got another two right after that," he said. "It was pretty scary."
This evening's show came from Coventry, where Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries announced that Bradford had been selected as the UK City of Culture 2025. Bradford beat off competition from rivals Durham, Southampton and Wrexham to the honour.
Ken Bruce was on the show to talk about presenting Radio 2's All Day Platinum PopMaster quiz on Thursday (June 2) as part of the station's Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Celebrity contestants will include singers Gabrielle, Paul Young, Holly Johnson and Curtis Stigers.
