Danny Andrews, who achieved British meme immortality as the "fish and a rice cake" guy, has invested an astonishing £117,000 in tattoos covering his entire body. The 35-year-old from Preston, Lancashire, first rose to fame in BBC Three's 2007 documentary Baby Faced Body Builders, where he attributed his physique to a diet of fish and rice cakes.
From Meme to Masterpiece: A Costly Artistic Journey
Andrews estimates he has spent approximately £650 monthly over the past fifteen years on his extensive body art, accumulating to a staggering total that he describes as "a house-worth" of money. He explained, "It's been a 15-year journey. I've had them done once and then I've had them redone. I've spent an absolute fortune because I've got OCD about them."
Thematic Tattoo Collections Across His Body
The former bodybuilder, now a barber, has curated distinct tattoo themes for different areas of his physique. His left leg sleeve is dedicated to television and film characters, while his right leg showcases figures from Greek mythology. In a nod to his viral fame, Andrews also sports a tattoo on his leg depicting himself with a fish and a rice cake.
Celebrity Confusion: Putin, Fritzl, and Political Figures
Despite the significant financial investment, Andrews' tattoos have become a source of widespread misinterpretation. His chest portrait of Tyrion Lannister from Game of Thrones is frequently mistaken for Deal or No Deal host Noel Edmonds. More strikingly, his Thomas Edison tattoo is often incorrectly identified as Russian President Vladimir Putin or former footballer Gary Neville.
Taking a darker turn, some observers have believed Andrews commemorated Austrian incest rapist Josef Fritzl on his left arm, when the artwork actually depicts physicist Albert Einstein. Andrews admitted, "People have mistaken my Einstein tattoo and now I can't unsee it. Looking down at it now I can see [Josef] Fritzl looking back at me."
Political Misidentifications and Viral Reactions
Andrews' David Attenborough tattoo has sparked particular confusion, especially among American audiences. He revealed, "One of my videos went viral and it hit the American audience. They don't know who David Attenborough is so they were like 'this guy is MAGA'. I don't like Donald Trump, but they genuinely thought it was him. Other people were arguing and saying it was Boris Johnson."
Reflections on Tattoo Culture and Regret
Despite the frequent misidentifications, Andrews maintains he can laugh off the comparisons, acknowledging the high quality of the artwork. "They may not be to everybody's taste but they're done very well," he stated. However, he expressed some regret about his extensive tattoo collection, confessing, "If I could do my time again I probably wouldn't have any because it's cost me an absolute fortune."
Legacy of the Original Meme and Lifestyle Changes
Nearly two decades after his initial rise to stardom, Andrews remains dedicated to fitness but has abandoned his notorious fish and rice cake diet. He reflected on his enduring cultural impact, saying, "I was Britain's first ever meme, the 'fish and a rice cake' guy, 20 years later people still share it. Memes come and go nowadays [...] it does the rounds every year and goes viral again like it has done for the past 20 years, it's engrained in British culture."
Andrews concluded with a note about his current lifestyle, "It's 2026, I've now moved on from fish and rice cakes," marking a significant evolution from the dietary regime that originally made him famous.
