Meet Britain's new tallest man at 7ft 7ins

At 7ft 7ins, Paul Sturgess from Britain has been named Britain’s tallest man, inheriting the crown from Game Of Thrones star Neil Fingleton who died in February. Sturgess, 29 from Loughborough, Leics, and a professional basketball player already held the record for being the tallest basketball player in the world.

Sturgess, who plays for the Harlem Globetrotters is 231.8cm tall, weighs 24 and a half stone, and eats more than 7,000 calories a day to keep up with his regime.

As a professional basketball player, the giant enjoys free first class upgrades on flights because of his height.

Paul, who is famed for his 'standing dunk' on the basketball court is also too big for a king sized bed

"I was always the tallest in my class, but never by much, he said.

"I was a pretty average sized baby, weighing 9lbs, so I wasn't massive but my mum did say I had really long legs.

"I hit 6ft when I was 15, and that's when I had my really big growth spurt and mum took me to the doctors.

"By the time I was 17 I was 7ft, and I just got taller and taller."

Doctors confirmed Paul's unusual height is genetic, although his mum is tiny in comparison at just 5ft 6ins. His dad is 6ft 7ins while the other men in his family are all over 6ft, although Paul is the first one to go over 7ft.

He started playing basketball in college before bagging a lucrative scholarship at Mountain State University in West Virginia.
Paul - whose nickname is Paul 'Tiny' Sturgess - said:

A couple of friends in college suggested I try basketball, and I got the bug for it straight away.

"I knew I had an immediate advantage and a lot of opportunities came my way, like being scouted.

"I can grab the basketball net from the floor and I do a standing dunk which has sort of become my trademark move.

"My height does have the awe factor, but to be honest - especially playing basketball - people are used to players being tall."

Living in America, Paul doesn't have too much trouble buying clothes or finding shoes to fit his size 19 feet. 

"I buy my clothes when I'm in America and our sponsors [for Harlem Globetrotters] send us things every year so I don't really have a problem getting shoes either, he said.

"We have to travel a lot so we have a special tour bus with extra legroom and the hotels are contacted in advance to make sure I have a king sized bed.

"But even then, I have to sleep across it."

But fitting in cars and getting on a plane usually poses a problem for the sportsman. 

"Planes aren't ideal but I usually get a free upgrade to first class so I don't have any complaints.

"Driving is pretty difficult and I have to recline the seat all the way back - there's no way anyone can sit behind me.

"I also have to hunch over in the shower and I eat tonnes."

The SUN