Badly Drawn Boy Takes Off Hat, Loses Strength
Doctors warn headgear removal could have been fatal
Badly Drawn Boy was admitted to a Manchester hospital's emergency ward last week after a foolish attempt to remove his trademark stripy woolen hat. Doctors were able to successfully stabilise his condition and surgically reattach his headgear.
The artist (real name Damon Gough) recently completed the soundtrack for 'About a Boy' in which Hugh Grant wanders around a bit and probably says a few things. Gough had worn the hat for ten years as part of a bet with one of his mates. Upon collecting his fairly-won tenner last Tuesday he took off his headgear and promptly collapsed unconsciously to the pavement, where he was later discovered by a passer-by.
"I don't know what I was thinking," said Gough to NoiseMonkey from his hospital bed, "I knew it was dangerous to take off me hat after all these years. I even had a nice beret to put on in its place, but before I could fit it on me head I went all weak, like. The next thing I know I'm in here, surrounded by doctors."
Gough isn't the first celebrity that has been become over-reliant on the protection of their hat. In 1995 Boy George removed his hat when meeting the Queen, and spent three months in casualty as a result. The Queen was said to be shaken but unharmed. Expert doctors claim that Badly Drawn Boy is lucky to be alive.
"Badly Drawn Boy is lucky to be alive," hollered Doctor Jo MacCrow from Glasgow, "The top of his head has spent so long protected from the outside world by his headgear that exposure to it now could be fatal. He was extremely fortunate that it was a clear sunny day. If there had been a gentle breeze, or heaven forbid some light rain, things could have turned out a lot worse."
She added "If he ever shaves off that beard of his, it'd be suicide."
