ITV's This Morning made a historic change by broadcasting in black and white for the first time on Monday, October 12, when hosts Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley interviewed New Yorker Anthony Shurigin, who lives with chromophobia, an unusual fear of colour.
Before the interview, Ben and Cat announced they wanted to make Anthony feel more "comfortable" by switching their screen to monochrome. Anthony explained that the aesthetic "has a level of sameness and consistency that can be less overwhelming than a room with a bunch of colours".
Living with chromophobia
"One of the driving factors behind it is because New York is so overstimulating and colourful and loud," Anthony added. "I love coming home to an environment that doesn't have any of that. I feel like I can hear myself think better and be more productive that way."
Anthony revealed that he had suffered from OCD for most of his life, but his specific discomfort around colour emerged when he was at school. This gradually led him to transition his wardrobe to entirely monochrome before turning his focus to his bedroom, with videos of his domestic life garnering around one million likes on social media.
Family support and future plans
Images of his room were displayed on This Morning, along with a black and white Christmas tree, with Anthony sharing: "The one [Christmas tree] we have in our living room is white themed and all white and silver."
He went on to discuss how his chromophobia has affected his family. Anthony stated: "My parents have been super supportive. They are usually wearing black and white around me. They completely understand it. If anything, they're proud of how much online success I've had due to this, turning something that sounds limiting into a sort of personal brand and aesthetic."
"It's very cool but when it comes to outside, the best example I can give people is it's like going to a job you don't like, as silly as that sounds. I can't control the outside but I can control my own environment so it's that balance."
Anthony disclosed that he doesn't see a "purpose" in reintroducing colour into his life and harbours a dream of one day owning a house that's entirely monochrome. This Morning continues weekdays at 10am on ITV and ITVX.
