Coronavirus: The Masked Singer costume designer is making PPE for NHS staff

‘I have just got to keep going, making sure other people are going to be alright,' said Tim Simpson

The Masked Singer’s costume designer has started making PPE for NHS workers battling coronavirus on the frontline.

Tim Simpson, who designed the outlandish celebrity costumes on the singing competition, is one of 8,000 people distributing equipment across the UK.

In March, when Boris Johnson enforced lockdown across England, Simpson took his 3D printers home and began developing protective gear.

So far, the company Simpson works for, 3DCrowdUK, has managed to provide 100,000 face shields to over 160 NHS trusts.

But there is still much demand to contend with as Simpson explained they have a further 600,000 orders.

“It has been amazing. I have never been involved in anything like this,” the 46-year-old told PA news agency.

“There’s this sort of network of people who have never met face to face who are all working frantically to try and fulfil this need around the country.”

The costume designer, who owns his own organisation Plunge Creations, added: “There are people working in hospitals who are being told that PPE is coming and yet they are coming to us because they are scared. ‘We have frontline workers who are just unbelievably grateful.”

When he was in his twenties, Tim had to spend time in hospital after nearly losing his life to pneumonia.

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Addressing his views on coronavirus, the father, who now lives in East Sussex, said: “It’s a disease that gives me the willies because I know that I might not fair too well if it does get me.

“I have just got to keep going, making sure other people are going to be alright.”