Furze left school to become a plumber until he performed on the Sky1 programme Gadget Geeks. Furze has since used his plumbing and engineering experience to build many unconventional contraptions, including a hoverbike, a wall of death, a jet-powered motorcycle made with pulsejet engines, and the world's fastest mobility scooter, pram, and dodgem. These are typically broadcast on YouTube where he celebrates subscriber milestones with increasingly extravagant fireworks.
Furze has said that he attended Malcolm Sargent Primary School as a child until he entered secondary school. By then, he had already begun making underground dens and a few tree houses.[3] He became a plumber after leaving school at 16, which allowed him to focus on creating tools, gadgets, and other engineering inventions. Shortly after the death of his father, he discovered the video-sharing website YouTube, on which he shared his inventions beginning with his wall of death ramp in 2007.[3]
He and his girlfriend, Charlotte,[4] have two children.[3]
Inventions
Furze's many contraptions are publicised on his YouTube channel. On 13 March 2010, he uploaded a video of his converted scooter, incorporating a flame thrower that could shoot flames up to 15 feet (4.5m) in the air.[5] On 25 March 2010, Furze was arrested by Lincolnshire Police, for possessing an object converted into a firearm (in UK law, a flame thrower is a type of firearm). He was released on bail without charge the next day. This was Furze's third attempt at producing such a device, as the first did not ignite and the second burst into flames.[6][7]
On 5 May 2014, Furze posted a video to kick off his 3-week long X-Men characters special by designing a set of realistic Wolverine claws based on a pneumatic system. Within its first week it had received over three million views.[8]
On 23 October 2015, Furze released a video showing off the start of a new multi-part build, in which he would construct a Hidden Blade to promote the new Ubisoft game, Assassin's Creed: Syndicate. Furze went on to make the Hidden Blade, a spring-loaded concealed blade that activates at the flick of the wrist with the help of a ring-triggered wheel mechanism, a rope launcher and a winch device, all built onto a frame that fit his wrist.
In November 2015, Furze constructed an underground bomb shelter beneath his garden, as part of a request by Sky1 to promote the series You, Me and the Apocalypse.[9] The bunker contains a corridor and a large main room, as well as a fully functional air filtration system and has an entrance shaft concealed by a garden shed.[10][11]
In May 2018, Furze completed a working life-size Hulk buster in partnership with eBay, which is where he gained the parts to make it from. He also worked with YouTuber James Bruton, who made the control panel to operate the machine.
In March 2022, he announced the completion of a tunnel that links his house and his workshop. Lined with metal sheets and concrete, it took him three years to construct. Extensions towards the bunker and the driveway are planned next.
In April 2023, Colin constructed a machine that he said made him “weightless”. It worked by having a pivot 3 metres in the air with a 7.5-metre extendable arm and seat on one side, and a 1 tonne concrete block as a counterweight on the other. This allowed him to jump higher, as the counterweight almost balances his weight.
His main YouTube channel has 13 million subscribers, while his second channel 2 much Colin Furze has 1,110,000 subscribers as of 28 June 2024.
Colin Furze's Screw tank
Achievements
On 24 October 2008, Furze revealed a 14.26-metre-long (46.8-foot) motorbike that he had built to break the world record of the longest motorcycle. This was done by attaching beams in place of the back. He completed the record by riding it a minimum of 100m (330 feet).[17]
On 14 October 2010, it was announced that Furze had modified a mobility scooter to give it the ability to reach 71mph (114km/h) in an attempt to enter the Guinness Book of Records. It took him nearly three months to build and has a 125cc (7.6cuin) motocross engine.[18]
On 10 October 2012, Furze posted a video showing a pram fitted with an engine which, if it travelled over 30mph (48km/h), would make it the world's fastest pram. He succeeded in breaking the world record by achieving 53.46mph (86.04km/h).[19] The pram was featured in the October 2013 copy of Popular Science Magazine, in which Furze was interviewed about his reasons for having modified the pram.[20]
On 30 March 2017, Furze posted a video showing a restored 1960s dodgem fitted with a 600cc (37cuin)motor cycle engine producing around 100bhp (75kW).[21] The dodgem achieved a top speed of 107.390mph (172.827km/h), with an average speed of 100.336mph (161.475km/h) from a run in each direction – making it the world's fastest bumper car, as approved by Guinness World Records.[22]BBC Worldwide asked Furze to complete the project for The Stig to drive.
Television
Furze made his television debut by appearing as the 'Mystery Guest' in Episode 1, Series 3 of Russell Howard's Good News, where he showed off his mobility scooter project. The scooter was damaged in transit and was unable to work properly on stage, but Russell got on the scooter regardless and Furze pushed him around on it.
Furze appeared as one of the experts on Gadget Geeks, the short-lived Sky1 series, in which the trio of experts would consult a member of the British public to test an invention idea in the workplace, along with the journalist Tom Scott and Charles Yarnold.[23] Furze has been 'number one' multiple times on the Science Channel show Outrageous Acts of Science and has appeared on the E4 show Virtually Famous twice, demonstrating his wolverine claws on 28 July 2014 and again, the following year, showcasing the "toaster knife".[24] He went further afield, appearing on German television with his toaster knife.
He appeared as a guest and "challenge" in the third season of the German TV game show Joko gegen Klaas - Das Duell um die Welt. One of the contestants had to be Furze's assistant for a day and had to test any invention he presented.
Furze's inventions were featured on 11 February 2020 episode of Great British Inventions hosted by David Jason.[25]
Books
Colin Furze authored "This Book Isn't Safe", a collection of projects intended for children and adults to recreate at home and spur an interest in engineering.[26]
Related Research Articles
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