SHOTY judge Banjo Beale on feeling as famous as the Beatles

dailyrecord.co.uk:

INTERIOR Design Masters winner, Scotland's Home of the Year judge and makeover show host - adopted Scot Banjo Beale is well on his way to becoming a national treasure.The larger-than-life Aussie, who moved to Scotland nearly a decade ago, is already one of the BBC's standout stars and next week he's back on our screens with a second season of hit series Designing the Hebrides.Bubbly Banjo, 37, who has become so well-known folk have been chasing him down the street for selfies, says he sometimes feels like one of the Beatles.The design guru, who lives on Mull with his husband Ro, admits as a child, growing up in the Australian outback, he had a feeling he was destined for something "fabulous" but didn't expect it to be 10,000 miles away in Scotland.Banjo, who judges on Scotland's Home of the Year with designer Anna Campbell- Jones and architect Danny Campbell, said: "I'm still getting used to being recognised everywhere I go.

On film breaks from SHOTY we usually head for the nearest garden centre and I've had to start taking a deep breath because we get besieged.

We've even been chased down the street for selfies. I think I now know how the Beatles must have felt. It's crazy but it's lovely."A woman came up to me on the ferry to Uist and told me her son was gay and they were having trouble accepting it, but after seeing me on the telly they knew he was going to be OK.

It was a really weird moment but was great she felt she could share something like that with me."The craftsman, who was bullied as child for being gay, explained: "I remember being a little boy and staring in the mirror and telling myself I was fabulous.