I am not a big reality TV watcher these days - I have dabbled but these days I am fairly clean, aside from my occasional lapse with these new Tattoo reality TV shows. And now there are three! LA, Miami and London. It was inevitable that TLC would latch on to the success that these shows have had and pit them against each other.

Ladies and Gentlemen - TLC presents next week.. The Battle Of The Inks! I have divide loyalties with this.. should I root for LA Ink my chosen home and the city which I love or should it be London Ink - the city in which I lived for so long in the country of my birth?

Miami Ink (above) is the original but it reflects in the other shows that they have re jiggled the format to work better. I have never been to Miami to be fair but the people who frequent the shop seem to be a little trashy and all about getting a ‘tribute’ tattoo, which heartless as it sounds, you become apathetic to it after the 20th time that episode.

I think Chris Garver is a talented tattoo artist but the rest of seem are so- so and come across as into hitting on the bikini babes getting their tramp stamps than their work.

L.A Ink (above) is fun - Kat Von D and her crew are a bunch of very talented artistes. They probably are in fact the most collectively talented shop with each artist being as mind blowing as the next. They have a lot of fun together and while the show doesn’t seem as contrived as Miami Ink, they have a tendency to rush through as many of Kat’s ‘famous’ (cough) friends as possible.

Kat maybe one of the most talented portrait tattoo artists out there but not necessarily comes across as the most creative. My favourite artist in this shop is Corey - not only does he do a hellva lot of his work freehand (no stencil) but he can turn his hand to anything - usually making a crappy idea into a breath taking tattoo.

London Ink (above) features the talents of Louis Molloy - most famous for giving David Beckham his guardian angel tattoo back piece. The diversity of his ideas and the creativity with which he approaches each tattoo makes him one of the best. Personally I love that in an artist, to me that is what makes an artist special, not the ability to churn out one particular style of tattoo only.

Nikole Lowe is a classic example of that but regardless she is an extraordinary talented Japanese artist. She is to Japanese work what Kat Von D is to portraits. Nikole’s work is so good it actually would make me want to get a Japanese tattoo. Her use of negative space is mind blowing.

Dan Gold despite being a moaning brat most of the times (yes worse than Ami on Miami Ink) is also very talented as is Phil Kyle making this shop the second most talented collectively.

If it was up to me London Ink would win for creativity, L.A Ink would win for being the most talented collectively and Miami Ink for contrived drama.

Update.. who won? Find out here!