Unconventional Brits: Snoop Dogg's MTV Awards Cadillac, a house of flowers and art made from 26,000 screws

Watch a brand new series diving into the lives of extraordinary Brits. In this episode, we speak to a man from Preston who has transformed his house into a blossoming paradise, an artists who used over 26,000 screws to create an art piece and a determined duo who restored Snoop Dogg’s old Cadillac and travelled to Paris to tell him.

Watch the full episode on Shots! or tune in when the episode premiers at 7pm on 23rd August on Freeview channel 262 and Freely channel 565. Catch a new episode of the show every Friday at 7pm.

Watch Unconventional Brits: Episode 2

House of flowers

Preston resident, Dennis Anderton, married the love of his life 52 years ago, in a church just across the road from where he lives. His wife Cath had a soft spot for all things bright and colourful, with a particular love for flowers.

They would regularly buy baskets of flowers to hang at the front of their house, but they didn’t last long, so the couple soon swapped to plastic ones. Colourful flowers and playful decorations now cover the lower front of Dennis’s home - standing out like a slice of tropical paradise among a row of beige, brick layered flats.

Dennis and his wife often sat out on their front balcony to have a brew, and were regularly met by chirpy passers-by admiring their colourful display. He added, “One woman even knocked on our door and said she use to drive past every morning. She fetched my wife a box of chocolates and said you make my day every time I pass.”

Tragically, Dennis's wife died last February after being diagnosed with lung cancer and told she had just a few months to live. Dennis said that the death of his wife broke his heart and he’s kept the flowery decorations exactly how they were before her passing. Dennis said, “ Whatever she wanted, I always did. I loved her. I miss her.”

Watch the full episode for more extraordinary stories

Art from screws

Sunderland screw artist, Darren Timby, started his art career working with pixels, which inspired a new passion. He said: “If you zoom in on a photograph close enough, you’ll see thousands of dots. I had the idea of replacing those dots or pixels with screws.” He prefers to use screws straight out of the box instead of painting them, adding, “I think it’s more impressive to use just three or four tones to create something lifelike.”

The first piece he created was of Marilyn Monroe, which he made with 26,304 screws. He made the piece in memory of his late father who passed away in 2020. Darren typically creates artwork of famous icons, creating an image of their head and shoulders that usually stands around five to six feet high.

Darren’s dream came true when three of his art pieces of icons, David Bowie, Freddie Mercury and Elvis were exhibited at The Hard Rock Cafe, Newcastle. He hopes to also showcase his piece on Amy Winehouse in the exhibit and is grateful to be working with a sponsor for his next big project on The Beatles. Darren says it’s his biggest challenge yet, featuring all the members of the band and measuring about six feet wide by three and a half feet high.

Watch the full episode for more extraordinary stories

Snoop Dogg hunt in famous Cadillac

YouTube star, Sam Hard, reinvented the famous 1968 Cadillac Coupe de Ville that was previously used by Snoop Dogg to open the MTV music awards in 2007. The car was found abandoned in a field in London after the closure of the London Motor Museum.

The car itself was covered in mould and had a dead fox inside it. Sam’s valet even threw up in the back while trying to clean it. They gave the car a full new paint job, cleaned up the interior and got the hydraulic suspension back up and running.

Sam and his colleague brought the car to Paris and were given permission to cruise around prestigious landmarks like the Arc de triomphe because people assumed they were with Snoop Dogg. The duo travelled to Paris in the hope of getting to meet the man himself.

To find out more on how they got on watch the full episode on Shots! or tune in when the episode premiers at 7pm on 23rd August on Freeview channel 262 and Freely channel 565.