Meet the TWO Scots on Alan Carr’s Interior Design Masters – they’re fighting for an incredible prize
A HOPEFUL on hit Alan Carr show Interior Design Masters has told how moving to Glasgow gave him the courage to chase his art decor dreams.
Ese Johnson, 27, feared he’d be bullied out of breaking into a ‘feminine’ creative industry due to outdated stereotypes in his native Nigeria.
It was only after moving to Scotland five years ago that he could finally pursue his true passion without fear of having his masculinity or sexuality questioned.
The uni graduate, development manager at a sexual health charity, said: “The idea of being drawn to something ‘feminine’ wasn’t in the books for me when I lived in Nigeria, but design isn’t, it’s for everyone.
“Growing up I felt like I had creative flair I was drawn to but I couldn’t act on it.
“So it never crossed my mind that I could make a career out of it.
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“It would have been taken as meaning you’re gay because you like interior design, or that you like design because you’re gay.”
He added: “On this season - because my own bubble is not the design world - meeting all these designers and seeing there’s such a rich diversity of people was amazing.
“You realise there’s no one person who should or shouldn’t be in this world of design.
“It’s a global issue of where people should and shouldn’t fit in. It’s a human thing. We carry all these preconceptions.”
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Ese is one of ten talented designers competing to win his own homewares contact in the sixth series of the hit BBC show.
Comedian Alan Carr, 48, and interiors guru Michelle Ogundehin, 57, are back to run the rule over the talents competing to win a life-changing collaboration contract with a UK retailer.
After eight weeks of challenges taking place all over the country the winner could become a household name with their products in homes everywhere.
Ese, who used to run a fashion business on Etsy, is the least experienced of the candidates and admits he was intimidated by the skilful folk surrounding him.
He said: “It felt nice to be in a group of such amazing talents. Take me out of the picture, I’m not just saying this because it was my season, if feels like this is the best combination of designers since the beginning of the show.
“I’d been enjoying watching a few interior design shows as I was only introduced to them when I moved here and thought it was a good blend of my experience in fabric, textiles and colours from running a fashion brand and my love of architecture.
“This show was my introduction to interior design TV and one of the main motivations to for me to pursue interior design as my full time career.
“My ultimate goal is to work as a designer. It just feels like it’s second nature. Doing something you love and getting paid for it.
“The pinnacle for any designer is having your own range of homeware because you’re not just getting to do people’s spaces, you’re stuff is in their house or office and you’re a part of it even if you’ve never physically stepped foot inside.”
Despite being scared to follow his biggest ambition in Nigeria, he won’t allow haters to ruin the connection with his homeland.
He added: “I do still see my cultural influence. Even just my love of colour that comes from every Sunday seeing the flamboyant dresses and amazing outfits.
“I feel like even though I didn’t want my culture to influence my design because of the negative connotations, I love to use lots of bright colours and ethnic influences.
“I can’t stand spaces which aren’t bright and colourful so it’s nice to find a part of my identity and background that I love that’s not tied to the pain I felt from being rejected in past experiences.”
And the adopted Glaswegian isn’t the only contestant hailing from the city to appear in the series.
Project director Victoria Scott, 31, has been obsessed with the show since the start and can’t believe she’s part of it now.
Her applications had been knocked back in the past so she’s buzzing to finally get her shot.
She said: “It was a baptism of fire in the respect that you don’t have time to think, you just have to do tasks in the timescales you’re faced with.
“You don’t see the prep time on TV, and being an avid viewer from season one, you have no idea of the work that goes into an hour long episode. A full week being cut down to 60 minutes.
“In real life nobody undertakes a project and completely transforms a space in two days. It’s just not practical.
“It’s terrifying working with people you’ve never met before and being followed by a camera crew.”
Victoria also found that folk struggled to understand her accent.
But thankfully Alan was there to share a few laughs and settle her nerves.
She said: “Alan was fantastic. He’s just as he comes across on TV. Full of fun and really warm and friendly.
“In each episode you filmed a specific scene with him and it was always a highlight and took away stress from that deadline.
“He’s learned about design along the way too. He didn’t present the first few seasons but he’s definitely got an opinion now.
“He is a comedian first and foremost so he likes to get a reaction out of you.”
Now Victoria is trying not to get ahead of herself and think about the prize on offer if she wins the show.
But she admits it would be a dream come true to put her stamp on the industry with her own products.
She added: “When an opportunity comes up it’s everyone’s dream to put their name on an item and to make a difference to an aesthetically pleasing setting in someone’s.
“A homeware range was never on my radar. It came over time and we didn’t know what the prize was when I started.
“But I’m that annoying person, where if we go somewhere for lunch, I analyse every design decision and question, why did they do that?
“All my loved ones are like ‘just have your tea.’
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“Now my family and friends are in the same amount of disbelief as I am that I’m going to be on the show.”
The new series will premiere tonight on BBC One at 8pm