Baz Ashmawy reveals he was attacked and followed in Cork while building homes for refugees
Baz Ashmawy in DIY SOS. Picture: Miki Barlok
Popular TV presenter Baz Ashmawy has revealed that he was attacked and followed after filming a DIY SOS special in Cork.
The Christmas special saw Ashmawy return with the DIY SOS team to create new homes for Ukrainian refugees in Mitchelstown, North Cork. The special tracked the restoration of eight houses dating to 1782 with the help of local volunteers.
Ahead of the release of a new series of the RTÉ show, the host said he had people follow him as far as Kinsale in Cork on his night off after filming the special in Mitchelstown.
“I got out of the car, and they started attacking me and I was thinking, ‘the energy these people are putting into chasing me and not doing anything to help people',” he told the RTÉ Guide.
“People were upset and wanted someone to blame but you can’t blame a show like DIY SOS because the people who helped build the houses for the Ukrainians are very often the same people who come back every week and help build houses for Irish people.
The latest series of DIY SOS will begin in Cork city where we will hear the story of 23-year-old Adam Drummond, who was paralysed from the waist down after an accident in 2011. The talented basketball player and swimmer uses a wheelchair but his home is currently not accessible.
The DIY SOS team and a host of local volunteers are tasked with renovating his family’s home in the Northside so that it is fully accessible for Adam. As is usually the case with the uplifting show, we’re sure the team will throw in a surprise or two.
Speaking about Adam's story, Ashmawy told the RTÉ Guide that it is one of the most heartbreaking in his TV career so far.
"I always say that we're not just rebuilding a house here. It's not just brick and mortar, we're also bringing someone home. And the show taps into that idea of home and what it means to people."
