Darryl Geegan is no stranger to taking on big fundraising challenges.
Having already participated in Ness Factor and Strictly Inverness to raise money for Highland Hospice, this year he will be taking part in Stars In Their Eyes Inverness to raise money for additional needs charity SNAP Inverness.
Kicking off his fundraising activities will be SNAP’s Got Talent on February 8 at the Royal British Legion in Inverness, featuring a bill of musicians, stand-up comedians and drag queens.
Tickets are priced at £15, and while the winner will receive a prize of £100 all funds raised will go towards SNAP.
A year after making it to the Strictly Inverness final, Darryl Geegan is taking on Stars in their Eyes to raise money for Snap Inverness. Picture: Callum Mackay
It is a cause that Mr Geegan is particularly passionate about, having seen first hand the impact that SNAP has had on his brother Stuart’s life as well as volunteering for the charity.
“Stuart is profoundly autistic, so from a very young age he needed additional support services in place,” he explained.
“My mum worked tirelessly to make sure he had everything that he needed put in place, and one of those things was SNAP.
“Stuart is now 32, and they have actually started running a service that supports adults as well. He goes on weekends away with them, which provides a bit of respite to my family as well, so we are endlessly grateful for everything they do.
“Because of their weekends away, Stuart is so much more confident. He used to just kind of be in his little bubble, and that was fine, but having benefitted from the support SNAP have offered over the years he is now completely out of his shell.
“Largely because of SNAP, he has spread his wings and he’s a bit more trusting of other people. He will do loads of different things that he would never have tried before, so they have transformed his life in a way.
“I’m absolutely elated to see it, but it does mean I get drafted into various activities! Stuart will see something and say he wants to try it, so I’ve taken him surfing, skiing, so many things that are life-threatening! If he starts talking about bungee-jumping, I’m out.
“He loves it, and of course I’m going to do it. Even compared to 10 years ago, he is unrecognisable.
“I’ve wanted to raise money for SNAP for the longest time, so now is the time to give back to them a bit.”
For Stars In Their Eyes in mid-March, part of the excitement is seeing who each participant is paying homage to.
Darryl Geegan is no stranger to the stage, but Stars in their Eyes will be an altogether different challenge. Picture: Callum Mackay
That means Mr Geegan could not give away who he would be performing as, but he did say that it was someone who has influenced his own performances as Venus Guytrap and as the frontman of the band The Idiotix.
“It’s a different one than I’m used to, because it’s not just one thing,” he added.
“This is very much relying on you being able to emulate someone else. In that sense, it’s more nerve-racking than anything I’ve done before, because there is so much pressure on me to do it right and not upset die-hard fans of this person, but I’m also buzzing for it.”
“I have loved this person since I remember starting listening to music.
“Even to this day, they are a source of inspiration for me. I very often watch videos and see what I can pull from this person’s style to benefit me as a performer and as a singer.
“This is really my opportunity to pay tribute to someone who has really helped shape me as a person.
“Not telling people who it is is the hardest part. People have been trying to guess – the second I said I was doing this, people thought they knew. One person has been right, and I had to recoil and subtly change the direction of the conversation.
“I am absolutely buzzing for it, but I will be so scared backstage. I’m just that kind of person, I put so much pressure on myself to be perfect, even though I never will be.
“It’s important to me to do it right and do it justice, so that’s what will be going through my head before I go on stage.”
To book tickets for SNAP’s Got Talent, contact Darryl directly