Man changes his name by deed poll 'for a laugh' to see it in lights across globe – The Mirror
A man who legally changed his name to achieve global fame said he has had the last laugh – despite his girlfriend’s annoyance
A man who was determined to see his name in lights took drastic action in the name of a 'laugh'.
Formerly known as Deano Wilson, the audio and visual installation engineer from Gosport said he prides himself on his 'day-to-day' comedy jokes. And one of his most famous stunts, which he believed was the 'height of comedy', was to change his name to make sure he was known around the world. And he said friends and family told him it was the 'funniest thing ever'.
Deano, 41, from Hampshire said he loves his new name because it's illuminated somewhere "every day, across the globe." In a bid to mark his mark, the audio and visual installation engineer initially changed his name as a joke to Fire Exit to guarantee that "the whole world will recognise my name". With his new name, Fire Exit joked people will now "run to me in an emergency" and "look for me to feel safe".
He said: "People laugh at me when I say 'one day I will be so famous, the whole world will recognise my name'."
Indeed, it has led to strangers wanting to meet him and bring along their own fire exit signs for him to sign. But one downside is that according to Fire Exit, his girlfriend is now sick of the sight of fire exits, because "there are more fire exit signs than plastic bags in our house."
In 2020, Fire Exit said: "There’s nobody more famous than me. I’m the only person whose name is still up in lights… even after a power cut! I’ve even had meet and greets where I just show up and sign people’s fire exit signs. They said it would be like a George Foreman grill, the exit sign with my signature at the bottom. Endorsed by Fire Exit.”
When at work, Fire Exit says his mates love telling people who he is, and he claims he can't go anywhere without people pointing his name out above doors.
Explaining why exactly he chose to legally change his name, Fire Exit revealed: "I tell people, I might be called Fire Exit but I can certainly make an Entrance! It’s not about fame, it's more the comedy factor for me. The funniest things to come out of it comes from the haters, not the lovers. It’s incredible the number of different kinds of reactions people have. It’s all about comedy and how far you can take the joke. When I tell the story [of my name], it’s seeing the different reactions I get that I find interesting."
Considering the various reactions he's had, Fire Exit continued: "I have been ignored, I’ve been laughed at, I’ve had confused reactions. "It’s no one thing. I’ve been high-fived, I've even been asked numerous times to take selfies under fire exit signs. I just love comedy. I love how people work and all the different kinds of responses I get.”
Do you have an unusual name? Email us at julia.banim@reachplc.com
A version of this story was previously published online on January 23, 2023.
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