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Hughie Maughan: TV contestant received 'death threats' over make-up disaster

Hughie Maughan with some of the other Dancing With the Stars contestants 
Hughie Maughan with some of the other Dancing With the Stars contestants  Hughie Maughan with some of the other Dancing With the Stars contestants 

A CONTESTANT on RTÉ's Dancing With the Stars has told how he has received death threats and been branded a racist - thanks to a make-up disaster.

Hughie Maughan, from Ballymun in Dublin, was a runner-up in last year's Big Brother and is now taking part in the dancing show.

He caused an internet sensation after patchy fake tan led to him appearing on Sunday's show looking more bronzed than usual.

The striking look was compared to Friends character Ross Geller's spray tan disaster, an Oompa Loompa from 1970s musical Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and even Robert Downey Jnr's controversial role in US film Tropic Thunder.

Maughan later revealed that his tan had to be fixed using make-up originally bought for singer Jamelia when she appeared on the Voice of Ireland.

"There was nothing I could do, I had to go out looking as I did as they didn't have any other colour left," he told RTÉ yesterday.

"It was a tan they used on Jamelia when she was doing The Voice two years ago.

"The entire place was staring at me. People said, 'he's done it for attention,' but I haven't. I didn't think it was going to be the top trending thing on Twitter."

He later said his striking make-up led to accusations of racism.

"Can't believe I've been receiving death threats this week because of the tan .. my God how am I racist for a tan mistake," he tweeted.

Maughan's mahogany face has already come to the attention of famously-tanned television presenter and antiques expert David Dickinson who tweeted: "Where can I get my hands on this?"