'I was a world record underpants wearer - until I swapped it for gravy wrestling'

Gary Craig - aka the Geordie Pantsman - first made headlines 15 years ago. He scooped a Guinness World Record title in 2010 for pulling on 211 pairs of underpants in 25 minutes.

But few people know about his amazing achievements since then which include reaching the final of the World Gravy Wrestling Championships. He wrestled rivals in a paddling pool filled with thick Lancashire gravy in 2022 and did it just months after he had a heart attack aged 63.

Six stents fitted after a heart attack - and then he did gravy wrestling

Gary, of Whitburn, said “I had a total of 6 stents fitted in two operations in the subsequent months, but I was determined that I wouldn't let that hold me back.

“They bring the Fire Brigade to hose off the gravy when you've finished. You get blinded by the proper thick fatty gravy they use. There's supposed to be limited physical contact, but I got drop kicked in the chest, and I controversially lost my 'fight'.”

‘I did a Forrest Gump and kept going’

But Gary wasn’t done with challenges. Just last year, he did the Great North Run and remembered: “I ran the children's GNR on the Saturday with my granddaughter, dressed as Superman and Wonder Woman. Then I donned my original 1981 GNR T-shirt for the Sunday. I passed the one-and-a-half-mile point no bother and simply did a Forrest Gump! I just kept going and completed the run in one go.”

Gary even had a go at regaining his underpants crown but it didn’t go to plan.

‘I don’t mind eating gravy but I don’t want to wear any more of it ever again’

He recalled: “I put on 302 pairs of underpants only to have Guinness disallow it for not pulling them up high enough!”

He is no stranger to applying for appearances on TV either. Gary has auditioned for shows and been shortlisted for favourites such as Come Dine With Me, and Squid Game. Looking to the future, Gary is planning a life free of gravy - at least being covered in it.

“I like gravy on me dinner,” he said. “But not on myself. I don’t mind eating gravy but I don’t want to wear any more of it ever again.”

Gary will feature in an upcoming episode of Unconventional Brits on www.shotstv.com - where you can watch all 30 back episodes on demand now and on Freeview channel 262 and Freely 565 each day, and evening at 7.15pm.

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