A YORK man has transformed himself into cult US Netflix television character 'Tiger King' Joe Exotic - to support the NHS.

Andy Dean, of Clifton Moor, was inspired to turn himself into the flamboyant character after watching the ‘Tiger King: Murder Mayhem and Madness’ series.

Andy, 34, said: “I’ve had a mullet for a long time. It all started out as a joke with my friends, but things escalated very quickly.

“I just thought, 'why not?' Its all for a worthwhile cause.”

After talking with his friends, Andy decided to set up a donation page on Friday.

He said he would change his appearance if it raised £100. The page raised £100 in around 40 minutes.

Andy then bleached his hair blond and gave himself a ‘handlebar’ moustache like Joe Exotic's.

Andy went live on Facebook to allow his friends to watch him bleach his hair.

During the live stream, an account acting as Carol Baskin, Joe Exotic's arch rival in the Tiger King series, even commented on the feed.

Andy, who works at Nestle in York, said: “It all happened overnight, there was no time to think about it.

“I dyed my hair and bought the Tiger King T-shirt and people seem to love it.”

Andy’s donation page is now at over £2,000. He is also pledging to get similar piercings to the Tiger King if the figure raised passes the £2,000 mark.

Andy said: “I’ve been blown away by the support, it's crazy. If it gets to £3,000, I will be getting a Tiger King tattoo as well.”

People from all over the world have donated to Andy’s cause, including some Americans.

All of the money that Andy raises will be donated to the NHS, to help manufacture personal protective equipment (PPE) during the coronavirus pandemic.

To support York’s Tiger King, visit: bit.ly/2XCpsRK

The Tiger King series on Netflix explores the breeding and keeping of big cats in America, and the bizarre underworld behind it. Former zoo keeper Joe Exotic is currently serving a 22-year jail term for attempted murder for hire.