Popular podcaster Blindboy Boatclub has reacted to a New York Times article that revealed his real name.
The Limerick native, who shot to fame as part of comedy hip-hop duo The Rubberbandits, is notoriously private and covers his face with a plastic bag for public events.
Earlier this week, The New York Times published a profile on Blindboy’s chart-topping podcast, but he didn’t know they were going to use his real name in the piece.
While Blindboy’s actual name is in the public domain, he uses Blindboy as a stage name and covers his face to maintain a certain level of anonymity.
Sharing the article on Twitter, he wrote: “The New York times did a profile on my Podcast.”
“I didn’t know my real name was going to be all over this. But at this stage, I’m hardly anonymous. I have a pen name and a pen face because I like privacy and going to Aldi.”
“I’m diagnosed autistic and having a very quiet life and simple life is important to me. That’s about it.”
The New York times did a profile on my Podcast. https://t.co/ijLTHiOmfi
— The Blindboy Podcast (@Rubberbandits) April 22, 2023
In another tweet, he continued: “To be clear too. The journalist was lovely, I’ve been a fan of her articles since I started reading them. It was a privilege to be profiled by her. The name thing was an editorial decision more than likely. My name is public domain, I’m not entitled to literal anonymity.”
Blindboy’s followers congratulated him on the piece, and revealed how they felt about the publication using his real name.
One follower replied: “Conflicted. Would love to read it, as a great fan of your work.
But don’t want to know your name as I want to respect your choice. Best of luck.”
Another commented: “Yeah I did spot that, but I reckon you’ll still be able to pop to the shops without hassle. Fantastic article 👍🏻.”
