October 23, 2025 Amelia Garnish

Timmy Mallett: TV presenter-turned-artist

Best known for his exuberant presence on children’s television in the 1980s, Timmy Mallett has since swapped career paths and embraced fine art and travelling around the world, documenting his travels across social media.

Who is Timmy Mallett?

Timothy Mallett was born on 18 October 1955 in Marple, Cheshire. He first captured imaginations as a television presenter, known for the ITV children’s programme Wide Awake Club in the mid-1980s. With his famous pink foam mallet, brightly patterned shirts and catchphrases like “utterly brilliant” and “blaaah”, Timmy became a household name.

His television popularity extended into music, where he achieved a UK number one in 1990 with his cover of “Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini”. He later appeared in theatre and radio and became a familiar face to generations of late Gen X and millennial children. He even took part in I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here in 2008.

Timmy Mallett on the Wide Awake Club

(Credit to The Guardian)

Why did Timmy Mallett move to art?

Although best known for television, Timmy’s love of art has been lifelong. He learned to paint with his father and brothers and never stopped sketching. His creative shift became more public after a solo cycling journey along the Camino de Santiago in 2018. The pilgrimage encouraged him to reflect on travel, memory and place, and he began to paint the landscapes he encountered.

This became the foundation of his Camino Collection. He later created his Coastal Collection, inspired by Britain’s changing shorelines. His preferred mediums include oils, acrylics and watercolours, and his style blends impressionism with bold colour and movement.

Timmy Mallett’s today

In recent years, Timmy has become widely followed on social media. He has more than 100,000 followers on TikTok and over 1 million likes. His videos show him cycling across the UK, Europe and further afield, sketching and painting on the road and sharing glimpses of the people he meets.

Timmy turned 70 this year and has become something of a national treasure. Admirers describe him as warm, generous and genuinely lovely. Many who remember him from childhood television are now art buyers themselves and are drawn to the charm, humour and storytelling in his work. His popularity has also expanded to younger audiences who discovered him through TikTok.

Timmy has also used his platform to support charity. He has raised money through donated artwork and is actively involved in mental health work. Inspired by conversations with his late brother Martin, who had Down syndrome, he has supported initiatives that encourage men to talk more openly. He has helped install more than 100 “buddy benches” across the UK through the Mission Shoulder to Shoulder project, creating spaces for quiet conversation between men.

The appeal of collecting Timmy Mallett’s art

Timmy’s paintings offer far more than bright colours or decorative character. Each piece carries a story from his travels, the landscapes he cycles through, or the people who have shaped his life. Collectors value this sense of narrative, as well as the authenticity of an artist who paints wherever he finds himself, whether on a coastal path, a mountain pass or outside his beloved Maidenhead United football ground.

As demand for modern British art grows, Timmy’s work has become increasingly collectable. His pieces now achieve strong results among buyers who remember him fondly and appreciate the quality of his painting. With his continued popularity on social media, his active charity work and his advancing age, interest in his work continues to rise. His paintings now appeal to a wide audience which adds to their long-term value.

If you're interested in acquiring a piece of Timmy's artwork, explore our curated collection or contact us for guidance on finding the perfect Timmy Mallett piece for your home or collection.