This is a series of  blogs looking at some of the less well known, but still great, citizens of this nation.  For one reason or another each person on this list is a personal hero of mine, be it because they are great at what they do, or simply because the are batshit insane.

Whatever the reason I am going to take time to salute them.

Justin Lee Collins (or JLC) as he is more often known is a pretty polarizing character, but love him or hate him he fits perfectly the premise behind this blog.   He is a man in his mid 30’s living in Bristol with a love of 80’s cartoons, cult TV and 80’s music.  Based on that description alone you can see why I might consider him a personal hero.  This is a man who is living my own personal dream,  to get to be a total child of the 80′s in front of the camera and get paid for it.

What first switched me on to him was the Bring Back Series he did for Channel 4. In essence this was JLC talking about a show or a film he loved from his childhood and then going to insane lengths to reunite the cast but unlike similar shows each one of these was a 2 hour documentary complete with JLC doing some truly mental things like trying to raise $50,000 on the Streets of LA to get Mark Hammil to appear in Bring Back Star Wars, or gatecrashing the Latin Grammys to score an interview with Mr T for the A-Team Bring Back. 

In his time on this all to short series he attempted the following Bring Backs:

Grange Hill

The Christmas Number 1

One Hit Wonders

The A-Team

Dallas

Star Wars

Fame

Star Trek.

Sadly the series was cancelled before it they filmed what would have been his Sistine Chapel – Bring Back: The Goonies.

From the ashes of Bring Back however he went on to do “The Convention Crashers”  Which was a series where he attempted to become and compete as (in no order) A Clown, an Elvis impersonator, Magician and a Ventriqoquist.  This format was such a success that it spawned a series of shows where he went on to try his hand at at a number of challenges such as at being a professional Wrestler (in Mexico), West End Star (in Chicago), a high Diver, Ten Pin Bowler and Singer in the Eurovision Song contest.  

But what impresses me most about all of these is the enthusiasm he approaches them with. He knows he is a slighty chubby long haird bearded mad man from Bristol but he is sure as hell going to give whatever he does his best shot.

For this and many other reasons – JLC I Salute you.