Celebrity lookalike contests are having a resurgence - here's what's happened at each one
Finding a lookalike of your celebrity crush is the dream, right?
While it's always seemed far-fetched – you don't just see the average person walking down the street looking like Channing Tatum or Scarlett Johansson – it's starting to seem like it could be well within reach.
Lookalike contests for popular celebrities have had a resurgence lately, with thousands turning out to each event, whether they're competing or hoping to find a partner.
So, to find out more about the recent explosion of lookalike contests and what exactly it's like on the inside at these events, keep reading.
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Kyle and Jackie O lookalike contest
Two Aussie radio superstars have jumped on the lookalike contest trend, inviting members of their audience to compete for a cash prize.
Aussies lined up in the KIIS FM office hoping to take home the prize, so long as they look most like their radio icons.
Kyle and Jackie O lookalike contest
The lineup of blonde ladies and bearded blokes were hoping to snag the cash prize for looking most like Kylie Sandilands and Jackie O Henderson.
Kyle and Jackie O lookalike contest
On air yesterday, Sandilands announced the upcoming lookalike contest.
"Producers have organised for some Kyle and Jackie O lookalikes to come in studio," Sandilands announced.
"And whoever looks the most like Jackie or, unfortunately, the most like me will win cash prizes."
Zayn Malik
This is one for the Directioners.
Brooklyn, New York was the location of a lookalike contest we can only imagine that thousands would have loved to have been at.
On November 17, a crowd of Zayn Malik lookalikes descended on Maria Hernandez Park, with hundreds more gathering to watch on.
One thing that's been pretty consistent with the recent slew of lookalike contests is the fact that the prize is always themed to the celebrity.
So, it comes as no surprise that the Zayn Malik lookalikes were battling it out for a free tattoo.
The crowd narrowed the contestants down to the three top lookalikes, but only one could walk away the winner.
Ultimately, the crown went to 29-year-old Queens local Shiv Patel, but he almost didn't make it to the competition.
"I was like, maybe I'll go," he told BKMAG, explaining that his friends had insisted he had an uncanny resemblance to the Pillowtalk singer.
"I didn't even come to this park. I went to another park by accident, but then I ran over here. I came in with the idea that I might just be a spectator."
Since taking home the gold medal, Patel has gained several hundred new followers on social media.
"This definitely adds to my lore," he said. "Going viral has been fun, and maybe I'll use this momentum."
However, not everyone is stoked about Patel's win, with fans online issuing apologies to Malik.
"Make me the judge for those look alike contests rn I'm running those like it's the navy y'all have lost your minds," wrote one user on X (formerly Twitter).
"Zayn Malik I'm so sorry."
Jeremy Allen White
We only have one thing to say about a park filled with Jeremy Allen White lookalikes – yes (please), Chef!
Over the weekend a Jeremy Allen White lookalike contest was held at Chicago's Humboldt Park where contestants battled it out for $50 and a pack of Marlboro Red cigarettes.
Where other lookalike contests have seen some liberal takes on the word "lookalike," this time, the contestants really did share quite the resemblance to White.
Plenty stepped out dressed as Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto, White's now iconic character from The Bear, wearing tight white t-shirts underneath an apron.
Others took things back a little further, channeling Shameless era Lip Gallagher.
And while majority of contestants were white men in their 20s and 30s, there were a few outliers including a handful of women, and even a toddler.
While many showed up with hopes of White himself making an appearance, the actor is currently busy filming a Bruce Springsteen biopic, so making an appearance at his own lookalike contest probably wasn't top of mind.
However, that didn't dampen anyone's spirits with hundreds sat in the park to watch the 50 contestants battle it out for the title.
"People were online saying, 'Why doesn't Chicago have one?'" event organiser Casey Cassaro told the Chicago Sun-Times, explaining that she and friend Taylor Vaske were inspired by the recent string of celebrity lookalike contests.
"I was like, 'I think it should be Jeremy Allen White if we do it.' And I also think a lot of Chicago dudes look like him."
Although it was a close competition, the crown ultimately went to 37-year-old, Ben Shabad.
After being announced the winner, he was hoisted into the air as the crowd cheered for him.
"I'm so happy," he told the Chicago Sun-Times. "This is the coolest thing I've done all week."
He explained that he didn't go into the competition expecting to win, but was flattered nonetheless.
"I'm just impressed by [White's] acting ability," he shared.
"And the shows that he's been in have been really good, so I take it as a compliment that people think I look like him."
