Oscar Journeaux (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Another day, another celebrity lookalike contest.
On Saturday, November 9, hundreds of people bearing a resemblance to Harry Styles descended upon Soho Square in the West End of London for a lookalike contest dedicated to the former One Direction member.
Unlike other celebrity lookalikes contests held in recent months, no arrests were made in London on Saturday. “We have zero tolerance for nastiness,” contest organizer Katrina Mirpuri, told the crowd at the start of the event, as reported by The Guardian. “My mum is here and she’ll tell you off if you start being nasty.”
The contest drew a crowd of about 500 people who filmed much of the contest on their phones as 13 contestants modeled themselves on a park bench. 22-year-old singer and guitar player Oscar Journeaux ultimately took home the 50 pound prize for best lookalike. Meanwhile, a man holding a kilo of sugar and a small watermelon took home the prize for the worst Harry — a four-pack of beer.
Mirpuri was inspired to put on the contest after reading about similar events held in both New York City and Dublin, Ireland for actors Timothée Chalamet and Paul Mescal, respectively. “New York, Dublin — we one-up you,” Muripuri said during the London event. “Harry Styles is a London legend.”
She told the Observer, “I felt like London was missing out. Harry is an iconic guy and he’s a Londoner now, he’s lived here long enough.”
Unlike Styles, Chalamet, 28, attended his own lookalike contest when it was held in New York’s Washington Square Park on October 27, which drew hundreds of Twin-othées from around the country, dressed in some of the Wonka actors most iconic looks, from his film characters to his red carpet style. Chalamet snuck into the crowd wearing a baseball cap and black mask, but wound up posing for pictures with some of his lookalikes.
The contest was later dispersed by the New York City Police Department due to a lack of a formal permit, according to NBC.
Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images Move over thigh guy summer — hot rodent man fall has officially arrived. According to a flier posted in various spots in New York City, a Timothee Chalamet look alike contest is set to take place in Washington Square Park on October 27, local publication Secret NYC reports. A post featuring a […]
“I expected to be taken out in handcuffs, so [the outcome] was much better than I thought,” event organizer Anthony Po exclusively told Us Weekly at the event after he was slapped with a $500 fine. “My bodyguard here, Roberto, he took the fine. So I’m going to be paying him.”
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Even though the event was broken up by police, 21-year-old Miles Mitchell still managed to take home the $50 prize dressed as Chalamet’s character in Wonka. “[It’s surreal] that I ended up winning,” Mitchell told Us. “It’s so crazy. There were so many people that really did look like him, so it was really crazy.”
As for Dublin’s event, which was to find the city’s Mescal lookalike, was held on Thursday, November 7, with the first place prize going to Jack Wall O’Reilly, who was awarded 20 pounds, or “three pints,” as was written on the comically large check given to the winner.
Wall O’Reilly told the Irish Independent at the time, “I’m very proud, it’s been a good buzz,” adding that he won “the genetic Paul Mescal lottery.”