Most tattooed man in Ireland denied jobs and avoided on the street
Chris Dalzell is possibly Ireland’s most tattooed man, but that doesn’t come without challenges. Now, he struggles to get a job and is avoided on the street.
Bangor, UK – Chris Dalzell likes to refer to himself as the most tattooed man in Ireland, and that may well be true, but as he recently shared, such a position comes with its fair share of challenges.
With a flaming skull tattooed over his face, in shades of grey and red, and a blacked-out nose that looks like the gangrene effect of the septicemic plague, you couldn’t deny that Chris Dalzell has a unique look.
Dalzell’s unique look consists of more than 600 tattoos, which cover not only his face and head but the rest of his body as well. At 38, his transformation started as a coping mechanism and has since escalated.
Sadly, the Irish chef revealed to the Daily Star that he has faced a lot of backlash due to his somewhat confronting look. Part of that backlash included the loss of employment and nasty treatment on the street.
According to Chris Dalzell, employers a manager at a restaurant denied him a job over fears that his extreme look would turn diners away and make people wary of coming to eat there.
Chris Dalzell has faced discrimination due to his extreme ink
“People would avoid me, and certainly a lot of people wouldn’t approach me,” Dalzell said of walking on the street. “But they would rather take pictures of me without me knowing.”
“I hate it… I prefer people to approach me and ask because I certainly will have a selfie with them. It feels like an invasion of my privacy, especially when my kids are with me.”
Luckily, after receiving a lot of criticism and discrimination at the start of his career, Dalzell seems to have turned things around. He now cooks and delivers to elderly communities and has found acceptance as a result.
“I think [my tattoos] are becoming more acceptable because people now see me as a person and not just someone with tattoos on my face. So many people tell me that once they have spoken to me their opinion completely changes.”