World's tallest man looking for love - shorties need not apply

By Andrew Jackson on Sep 17, 09 08:11 AM

For many lonely hearts, finding love is a tall order - particularly if you measure 8ft 1in.
Women used to run scared from the world's tallest man, Sultan Kosen, who was unveiled at an event in London.
But now he is hoping his new-found fame will bring him love for the first time.

Turkish Mr Kosen, who also has the largest hands (27.5cm) and feet (36.5cm) on the globe, said his size had put women off and he had never even had a girlfriend.

The 27-year-old said: "The first thing I want to do is have a car that I can fit in but more than that I want to get married.
"Up until now it's been really difficult to find a girlfriend. I've never had one, they were usually scared of me. I'm hoping now I will find one."
He went on: "It was really difficult for me to find a girlfriend before but hopefully now that I'm famous I'll be able to meet lots of girls. I'd like to get married."
One the difficulties of being so tall is getting clothes which fit - Mr Kosen wore a specially-made suit to meet journalists which was one of the first outfits he has owned that is the right size.
He also had to have a three-metre long bed made.
Mr Kosen said: "The most difficult things are, for example, that I can't fit into a normal car. When I get into a car, it's a really tight fit. I can't go shopping like normal people, I have to have things made specially and sometimes they aren't always as fashionable. The other thing is that ceilings are low and I have to bend down through doorways."
But his towering height does have its upsides.
He said: "The good thing about being so tall is that I can see people from a long distance. The other thing is at home they use my height to change the light bulbs and hang the curtains, things like that."
A smiling Mr Kosen, who used crutches to stand, said he had always dreamed of coming to London and had two seats to himself on the flight over.
He laughed as he was asked to pose with a tiny newspaper, said to be the world's smallest.
Medical problems ruled out a career in basketball, and he now works occasionally as a farmer.
Mr Kosen, who has three brothers and a sister, applied for consideration as the tallest man in Turkey and was discovered to be more than 10cms taller than the world record holder.
The title was previously held by Bao Xishun who was first recognised by Guinness in 2005.