Joe Lycett behind Banksy mural hoax in Birmingham

Comedian Joe Lycett has revealed he is behind a mystery wall mural that was initially rumoured to be by elusive artist Banksy.

The artwork, depicting Dorothy from The Wizard Of Oz reaching for a pair of ruby shoes hanging from a high cable, appeared overnight on 3 April in Birmingham’s gay village.

But speaking on Channel 4’s Late Night Lycett, the comedian said it was actually done by Black Country artist Dion Kitson for the show.

As the show returned for a second series on Friday, Lycett said it was among four fake stories the team had planted, which were then covered by the media.

Following speculation the mural on the wall of the Sidewalk bar was by Banksy, a spokesperson for the artist confirmed this was not the case.

But Lycett told the show, which is filmed live in Digbeth, the story had been widely covered.

“We made this whole thing up,” he told the audience, adding it “got so much coverage Banksy himself” issued a statement.

Lycett, from Birmingham, added Dion Kitson was a “very talented young man”.

Phil Oldershaw, the director of Sidewalk – the bar on which the mural was spray-painted, had previously described the art as beautiful and said he would protect it.

Birmingham City University Alumni said on X after the TV disclosure that Kitson studied at its School of Art.

The artist’s work has included protest signs which appeared in the rubble of The Crooked House pub and clothes worn by Lycett.

On X, Lycett has outlined his motivation for planting multiple stories.

He said he hated how the “world’s been turned upside down by fake news” so hoped their “silly fake news stories” would “take up space that more hateful or polarising fake news might otherwise have used”.

Lycett had challenged viewers to guess which stories they were behind.

Let Night Lycett disclosed fake stories it seeded included one claiming H from Steps would get an 8ft statue in his hometown of Cowbridge.