Gordon Ramsay

I chose Gordon Ramsay as the 22nd person for this blog. I like his style of cooking, always moving his body energetically around like a boxer. He is famous for his short temper and shouting obscenities to his staff, but underneath I think he is a professional man who really considers other people a lot. I don’t think it is possible to run Michelin stars restaurants purely for shouting obscenities.

Dannii Minogue

I chose Dannii Minogue as the 21st person for this blog. She is more familiar to me as a judge of The X-Factor than as a singer. I like her honest comments, which sometimes contradict those of Simon Cowell (please see number 10 of my blog). When she is moved by the songs she hears, tears well in her eyes and it makes tears well in my eyes too.

James May

I chose James May as the 20th person for this blog. He is best known as the co-presenter of the motoring programme ‘Top Gear’. But I also like the BBC’s food and travel programmes with wine writer Oz Clarke ‘Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure’ and ‘Oz and James Drink to Britain’. The banter between May and Clarke while they are drinking alcohol are very funny, it’s almost like watching a comedy.

Dawn French

I chose Dawn French as the 19th person for this blog. She is a British actress, writer and comedienne. I like the spoofs she and Jennifer Saunders performed in their BBC’s comedy sketch show ’French and Saunders’. Every time I see the film ‘Titanic’, I can’t help laughing because Leonardo DiCaprio looks just like Dawn French to me.

Lee Mead

I chose Lee Mead as the 18th person for this blog. He is best known as a winner of the BBC reality talent show ‘Any Dream Will Do’. I knew right from the start he would win and get the Joseph contract in the West End. I think he has a kind of charisma. As well as winning the contract, he also found his future wife at the same time. She is Denise van Outen (see my previous blog) who was on the competition panel.

Denise van Outen

I chose Denise van Outen as the 17th person for this blog. She is an English actress and television presenter. I saw her for the first time in the TV comedy drama ‘Babes in the Wood’. I immediately had a crush on her cheeky face. I also enjoyed her comments as the panelist of BBC reality talent show ‘How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?’, ‘Any Dream Will Do‘ and ‘I'd Do Anything’.

Michael McIntyre

I chose Michael McIntyre as the 16th person for this blog. He is a British standup comedian. I like his over exaggerated actions to express stories when doing his standup shows. He quickly moves up and down the stage, which gives me a dynamic and fast moving impression. Maybe that is the reason why he is my favourite standup comedian.

Setsuko Hara

I chose Setsuko Hara as the 15th person for this blog. She is a Japanese actress who starred in many Yasujiro Ozu’s films. When I was young I didn’t think she was pretty, but now as a 50 year-old I think she is very beautiful. I especially think this when she changes her expression from smiling and warm to cold and hard.

Tony Rice

I chose Tony Rice as the 14th person for this blog. He is a bluegrass musician and acoustic guitarist. He was my hero when I was a teenager over 30 years ago. Now many people have copied his style, but at that time I thought his playing was a mystery, an ability far beyond human nature. 

J.K.Rowling

I choose J.K.Rowling as the 13th person for this blog. I have only read the first Harry Potter book, but I have watched all 6 films. I think the reason many people all over the world like these stories is because they have everything people need such as adventure, dream, grief, death, heroism, friendship, power, weakness, fantasy, youth, courage, wisdom, love and family.

Lewis Hamilton

I chose Lewis Hamilton as the 12th person for this blog. I honestly don’t know anything about Formula One. I just wanted to make a portrait of this young, handsome, successful racer.

Amy Winehouse

I chose Amy Winehouse as the 11th person for this blog. I like her jazz-influenced songs and husky voice very much. Her appearance and her seemingly desperate lifestyle give me a feeling of mystery and spirituality, so I made her portrait like a genie who lives in a lamp.

Simon Cowell

I chose Simon Cowell as the 10th person for this blog. Sometimes I think his honest comments are just misconstrued as rude. I think I would rather blame the auditioners who often don’t know how little talent they have. I have emphasized his unnaturally white teeth on this portrait.