The founder of the Chris Whitty Appreciation Society has revealed how members are eager to ‘declare their love’ for England’s Chief Medical Officer, after seeing him getting a hard time from critics.
Professor Chris Whitty, 54, has been a household name ever since the coronavirus outbreak took hold, appearing almost daily at the Government’s Downing Street press conferences.
Some viewers, including artist Penny Lally, from Cornwall, who went viral after sculpting a clay sculpture of his head found his presence ‘calming’, and felt he was a ‘trustworthy’ addition to the panel
However Sean Ryan, the founder of the online fan club, noticed that the ‘shy and reserved’ politician was receiving ‘a hard time’ online, and so set up the group where hoards of fans can share their praise for Chris.
Today on This Morning, both Sean and Penny appeared, with the artist explaining that while she usually recycles her sculptures, she will be preserving Chris’ bust in bronze resin so the piece lasts forever.
Public Health England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (left) has become an unlikely artist’s muse after Cornish artist Penny Lally sculpted his face out of clay
Sean Ryan,(pictured) the founder of the Chris Whitty Appreciation Society says group was designed for members to ‘declare their love’ for England’s Chief Medical Officer
Speaking of the group, Sean told: ‘We just set it up to see what happened, we were both big fans and people seemed to like it.
‘They were wishing Chris Whitty a happy birthday, sharing their artwork, and photos, just declaring their love.’
When host Phillip Schofield asked whether the club was set up after Sean noticed Chris was receiving criticism from the public, he replied: ‘It was yeah’.
‘Here’s this guy thrust into the public light, almost like the shy retiring type, and we saw him getting a bit of a hard time online.
Viewers of the show seemed to agree that Chris was finally ‘getting the credit he deserves’ while others hailed him a ‘legend’
‘I didn’t think he really deserved it and there were lots of people who did want to share their appreciation towards him.’
Viewer of the show seemed to agree with the fan club, with one commenting: ‘Well he is a legend.’
Another impassioned member of the group commented: ‘Chris Whitty getting the credit he deserves.’
‘I love the all the appreciation for Chris Whitty’, agreed a third.
Penny Lally (pictured) , from Cornwall, who went viral after sculpting a clay sculpture of his head told on the show she’ll be preserving his bust ni bronze
Host Phillip Schofield (pictured) asked whether the club was set up after Sean noticed Chris was receiving criticism from the public, he replied: ‘It was yeah’
Explaining why she decided to sculpt Chris, Penny told she had noticed many being ‘unkind’ about his appearance, but she felt he had a very ‘interesting face’.
‘I watched the press conferences with great interest at the beginning of lock-down’, said Penny, ‘And I thought he had a very calm manner. I thought he told us a lot of facts and was trustworthy.
‘A lot of people have been unkind about his looks, but I thought he had a very interesting face so that’s why I decided to do it.’
She has sculpted Boris Johnson, however he was recycled into another celebrity.
But instead of recycling Chris, Penny has decided to cast the clay sculpture in bronze resin so it doesn’t crack.
She added: ‘It took a couple of days, he seemed to come together quite quickly, he has a really interesting face and it came together quite quickly.’
Others around the country have taken to sharing their own artistic tribute’s to the Chief Medical Officer. Pictured, a bust of Professor Whitty by the Hackney artist Wilfrid Wood
Most recently comedian Joe Lycett painted a picture of him in a televised art class hosted by Turner Prize-winning Grayson Perry
BBC journalist Siobhan Harrison uploaded a picture of a wearable giant Chris Whitty head, which she claims was made by her 82-year-old mother
Penny’s sculpture turned out to be somewhat of a muse to others around the country, who have taken to sharing their own artistic tribute’s to the Chief Medical Officer.
Most recently comedian Joe Lycett painted a picture of him in a televised art class hosted by Turner Prize-winning Grayson Perry.
The painting reads: ‘Wash your filthy pig hands,’ in a nod to the Government’s virus hygiene advice.
Doctors on the acute medical unit at University College London Hospitals (UCLH) where Professor Whitty worked himself cut out bunting of his face to mark his recent 54th birthday
A birthday card for Professor Whitty by Twitter user @egg_socks, whose creativity may be more notable than her spelling
Pen and ink: Professor Chris Whitty as imagined by artist Andrew Woollard
Staff at University College London Hospitals, where Professor Whitty practiced himself, marked the expert’s recent 54th birthday on April 21 by hanging up bunting of his face.
BBC journalist Siobhan Harrison uploaded a picture of a wearable giant Chris Whitty head, which she claims was made by her 82-year-old mother.
A ‘Chris Whitty Appreciation Society has also sprung up online with his devoted ‘fans’ able to buy mugs and T-shirts with his face on them.
Curator of the National Portrait Gallery in London Alison Smith says the amateur works could be displayed there once Britain comes out of lockdown.
She told the Telegraph gallery bosses are ‘thinking about’ immortalizing him there.