James Goss, the UK man who holds the record for the most flesh tunnels in his face, an impressive 17 in total. These tunnels are located in his lips, nose, and cheeks, and he believes they make him who he is. Recently, the 27-year-old updated his record at the London headquarters and shared some wise words about being true to oneself, regardless of what others may think.
James admits that he used to feel judged by others based on his appearance. However, he has come to realize that his own opinion is what matters most. “For me, expressing myself regardless of what other people think has made me feel a lot more fulfilled. I don’t want to change myself to fit in with other people. It’s better to just be myself and spend my energy finding where I fit in anyway,” he said.
James has broken the record three times now, surpassing the original record held by Joel Miggler of Germany in 2014 when he had 11 face flesh tunnels verified. James broke that record in 2020 with 14, then again in 2022 with 15, and once more this year when he added two more in his nose. To qualify for the record, each flesh tunnel must have a minimum diameter of 3 mm (0.11 in), and measurements by an official adjudicator confirmed James’ new additions met the criteria.
Despite some people getting freaked out by his flesh tunnels, James is more interested in his mother’s opinion, who told him she was proud when he was first verified as the record holder. He takes pride in his flesh tunnels and handpicks his jewelry from designers Manufactum Jewelry and Archaic Visions.
James hopes that others can learn from his experience and be true to themselves, no matter what. “I hope to see every record get broken again, for the same reason. It’s exciting to see things progress and pushed further and further,” he said.
