Yahoo News Jay Hutton hits back at Tattoo Fixers haters
Jay Hutton has hit back at criticism surrounding Tattoo Fixers.
Ink guru Kevin Paul, who has previously tattooed Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles and Rihanna, branded the E4 series "shockingly bad" after he recently had to cover up some of the cast's designs.
Commenting on a tattoo that had allegedly been inked by Alice Perrin, he told The Sun Online: "The ink had bled out that much and scarred all around the lines. It was shocking how bad it was.
"I had to redo the whole thing and I had to take my time really softly to make sure I didn't break the skin again because it was that badly scarred.
"That was quite shocking because that's on a TV show as one of the best in the UK and it was really bad."
Following these controversial comments, Jay – who is currently working on new E4 show Tattoo Artist of the Year as well as Tattoo Fixers – spoke exclusively to Digital Spy to give his thoughts on the drama and reveal what really goes on behind the scenes .
Tattoo Fixers has been a huge success but some people haven't had the nicest things to say about the show...
I know but at the end of the day, if you put yourself out there on TV, people will form their own opinions of you. But it's just one of those things and you've got to get on with it.
How does the negativity affect you?
I'm confident in my capabilities and what I can do. So these things don't bother me.
The tattoo world is supposed to be quite an alternative scene - do you think people are annoyed you've made it so commercial?
Well, maybe. I'm not sure. From my own personal experience, all we're doing is showing people that if you want to get a tattoo, you don't have to get a rubbish one. Get a good one! You really need to think about it before you go and do something silly because this is something you could be stuck with for life. Do your research properly, find a design you really want and then find an artist who specialises in that area.
Previous guests on the show sold stories claiming they weren't happy with their designs – do you think they just wanted their 15 minutes?
Yes, probably! Nobody has ever complained during filming or afterwards to any of us. Every client is told beforehand that they can have a free touch-up if they're not happy with the design. In fact, that's generally the way it works in all tattoo studios, not just on the show. Nobody has ever asked for anything. Also, remember the end result of a tattoo is very much down to the healing process. You have to look after it.
Do you ever worry customers won't like your work?
No, never. I think that all comes down to client management. When a customer comes to me, we sit down at length to discuss exactly what they want and make sure we come to an agreement before I start [tattooing]. That's something I deal with every day. On my new E4 show Tattoo Artist of the Year, this is something we judge the artists on because it plays such a massive part in tattooing.
Have you ever had any disasters during you career, for example, when you were starting out?
None. When you're an apprentice, people who ask you to tattoo them know what they're letting themselves in for. It's discussed beforehand.
Can you tell us a little bit about Tattoo Artist of the Year?
Of course, it's a competition show where ten artists from all over the UK compete to win the title Tattoo Artist of the Year. They are basically set two challenges per episode and are judged by myself and Rose Hardy, who is an amazing artist. I'm really excited about the show and am looking forward to sharing it with everyone.
Are any of the artists competing better than you?
[Laughs] Everyone is very different. The producers just asked me to do this job and give my opinion so I have. We've got some great artists on the show. I'd get tattooed by them for sure.
Is it strange filming without the Tattoo Fixers cast?
It was pretty weird. But I enjoyed doing something different. It was great and we had some amazing guest judges like Stewart Robson, who specialises in Japanese designs, and David Corden, who is a realism artist.
There seems to be so many tattoo shows popping up following Tattoo Fixers...
It all started because Miami Ink was so successful – I was always a massive fan of that show. Tattoo Fixers has helped that scene too. When we launched, we didn't know how well it would do because it was completely brand new. But it's been such a massive success because of the banter we have. It's funny. Even if you're not into tattoos, you'll watch this and have a laugh.
Tattoo Artist of the Year launches this spring on E4
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