A fifth of Brits admit they’d pose for a selfie if they were mistaken for a famous person, according to new research.
The study, conducted by Paddy Power Games, quizzed Brits on their views on celebrity lookalikes, revealing that 19% of people would have their picture taken with a member of the public if that person confused them for someone famous.
This was found after a tenth (10%) admitted to being mistaken for a famous person and went along with it.
When it comes to the worst culprits, the city of Manchester takes gold, with 26% confessing they’d pose for a selfie with a fan. This is closely followed by Londoners (23%) and people from Leicester (22%), completing the top three.
Top five UK cities who would pose for a selfie is mistaken for a celebrity:
| Rank | UK City | Proportion of Brits who would pose for a selfie |
| 1 | Manchester | 26% |
| 2 | London | 23% |
| 3 | Leicester | 22% |
| 4 | Birmingham | 19% |
| 5 | Glasgow | 19% |
The research also examined what else Brits would do in this scenario, with 13% saying they’d trick people for fun, and a further 12% providing a “fan” with an autograph.
A tenth of Brits (10%) declared they’d push the boundaries and use their celebrity lookalike appearance as a way of getting a discount or a freebie.
And it seems that men are more likely to take advantage of the situation when being mistaken for someone famous, with 14% saying they would go along with it, compared to a mere 6% of women.
Also, when asked about what celebrity lookalike they want to meet, more than a tenth said Princess Diana (12%), with 10% claiming they’d wish to meet a David Beckham impersonator. Surprisingly, 5% admit they wish to meet a lookalike of the former US President, Donald Trump – this isn’t fake news!
A spokesperson for Paddy Power Games said: “Looks can be deceiving but it appears some Brits are happy being cheeky and pretending to be someone else.
“Everyone wants to be a celebrity for a day, so as long as you’re not mistaken for Donald Trump, have at it!”