The Interview

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: THE GIMP MAN OF ESSEX REVEALS ALL
Gary Sussex February 2, 2015

If last year you saw a man in a full gimp suit walking around a town near you, you were even tripping out, or it was The Gimp Man of Essex. From relatively unknown to going full on viral, 2014 was a massive year for gimped up charity campaigner – and 2015 could be even bigger. The Gimp Man of Essex speaks exclusively to Schpunk Magazine.

2014 was a big year for The Gimp Man of Essex. What was the most memorable moment of the year for you?

The most memorable moment was when the story hit the BBC news website in September. It was absolutely manic, I was getting messages from all over the world (99% complimentary I might add). My donations page also swelled dramatically at the time, so it seemed like a good job done and the gimp was “out there”

…and how much money did you raise for charity?

By the end of the year the justgiving page was on over £1200 and I also owe £115 in photo donations. So it was a total of over £1300 by the end of the year.

Was it nerve-racking for you the first time you donned the gimp suit – not knowing how it’d be received by the public?

My first time out was very nerve racking. It was something I had wanted to do for a long time. I done my checks to ensure that I wasn’t breaking any decency laws etc. I also made sure I went out while children were at school to save on the waggly fingers from people. I built up the courage and on the day decided to go for it.

Did you worry something bad might happen?

I figured that the worst that could happen was a few insults, If that had been the case I would have got in my car and left town never to be seen again.

I am old enough to realise no matter how harmless or nice anybody is, there will always be somebody who dislikes them

How long did it take for the stage-fright to go?

My fears were soon dispelled as it went down great, within a couple of hundred metres I was brimming with confidence and people were stopping me to talk.

What parts of Essex have you not gimped in and why?

I haven’t gimped many of the smaller Essex towns. The reason being it is very hard to arrive and leave a small town without being spotted. Also it tends to make a brief visit as a small town can be got round quickly and if nobody stops you it is covered in 15 minutes.

On Twitter you said you’d like to have a photo taken with a celebrity – If you could be photographed with any celebrity of choice in 2015, who would you pick and why?

My celebrity of choice to be photographed with would have to be Joey Essex. I constantly see him being called “a gimp” so a photo of him with one would be quite poignant really.

There’s a general election this year. Have you thought about bringing the power of the gimp suit into politics and standing at a local election?

The gimp and politics…. Now there’s a thought. Seriously though I don’t think there is a future for him in politics. I mean how would he would fit in with all those misfits at Westminster?

Tell us a secret thing that nobody else knows about The Gimp Man of Essex

The gimp man of Essex always takes a walk around a town dressed as a human before he goes in as the gimp. Just to ensure there isn’t anything going on that would find him offensive and obviously to ensure he is going to be safe. So next time you see that lone man around 5’11” tall strolling around you may see the gimp a little later.

Seriously though I don’t think there is a future for him in politics. I mean how would he would fit in with all those misfits at Westminster?

What would you like to have achieved by the end of 2015?

By the end of 2015 the gimp would have liked to have raised around £1500. and possibly made one small TV appearance. Nothing too big, I intend the gimp being around for a few years, so a few new things each year and build slowly.

And finally, do you have a message do you have for all the Gimp Man haters?

I am old enough to realise no matter how harmless or nice anybody is, there will always be somebody who dislikes them. The gimp is happy in the knowledge that he has more fans than he does haters. If you are a hater ask yourself this. If he is fully clothed, out to do some good for charity, raise some awareness that it’s the person inside the clothes that matters, and brings a smile to many peoples faces. Then why hate him? If you still hate him after that, then if you see him look the other way, don’t waste your time calling him a pervert and all that rubbish, heard it all before.

Wow, I'd love to do what he does....not only for the good causes he raises money for, but obviously for the fact that he gets to wear latex out in public, like, every day!