'I'm Not Banksy': London Builder George Georgiou, Often Mistaken for the Street Artist, Finally Breaks His Silence

Following the bombshell unmasking of street artist Banksy, London builder George Georgiou, who is often mistaken for the artist for his strong facial resemblance to Banksy's photograph, has finally broken his silence, saying, 'I'm not Banksy.'

George Georgiou has broken his silence after repeatedly being mistaken for the street artist, Banksy, ever since he was photographed around one of Banksy's creations on Hornsey Road, near Finsbury Park, north London, in March 2024.

The 69-year-old was mistaken due to his remarkable resemblance to the only known photos of Banksy, which were published in 2008.

The builder shut down the rumours that he is Banksy in an exclusive interview with The Daily Mail. He also said that he is thinking of taking legal action over this.

'I'm not Banksy... It's really annoying, it's ridiculous and it's disturbing. The first day, it was a laugh. It's a bit of an old joke now,' Georgiou said.

The Photo That Started It All

Two years ago, in March, Georgiou was captured at Banksy's tree mural on Hornsey Road because the building on which it was painted is owned by his sons, Alex and Anthony Georgiou.

He does maintenance work for his sons' estate agent, which is also in the same location. During the time he was photographed, the 69-year-old was putting Perspex around Banksy's artwork. The photo went viral after being posted online.

Georgiou directed a message to the people who claim that he is the street artist: 'Grow up. Get a life. If Banksy were to be found, he wouldn't be standing there.'

He added, 'I'm sure he is well enough endowed not to have to go there doing building work. He runs in, does what he does and then sods off and disappears. That's why no one knows who he is.'

He also said that he does not see the similarities between him and the 2008 photo of Banksy, he said, 'The only nice thing is that they think I look like I'm 51.'

Georgiou is from a Greek family but was born and raised in London and is now based in Islington.

George Georgiou Wants to End the Confusion Now

He also joked that he wishes he were the street artist, saying, 'Then no one would know who the f*ck I am. Unfortunately, they found me.' Adding that the way he got famous was bizarre but he wants to end the confusion now for good.

Georgiou explained, 'When it first happened, there was less reaction than there is now.' He added, 'It ain't really anything that I'm worried about. It's just really annoying because I'm still working. It's just disrupting my day endlessly'.

He said that fame has taken a toll on his life, 'It's just the day-to-day, every five minutes you pick up the bloody phone and it's just someone having a giggle.' He continued, 'That's all it is. It's all harmless stuff, but when you're trying to get on with your life, it's just really annoying. It's just a pain in the butt.'

Robin Gunningham is Banksy

Banksy is believed to be Robin Gunningham, 51, who was born in Bristol in 1973, as reported by Reuters. On the investigation, Gunningham legally changed his name to David Jones over a decade ago to preserve his anonymity.

Records show that a 'David Jones' with the same birth date as Gunningham travelled to Ukraine in late 2022, precisely when Banksy's famous war-zone murals began to appear.

The British street artist, who is known for his distinctive stencilled spray paintings, has become internationally renowned since his career began in the nineties. His works depict the state of British politics and have sold for tens of millions of pounds over the years.