I went to a Paul Mescal lookalike contest. It was… weird

What started as a joke has become full-blown pop culture pandemonium, writes Lauren Bulla – who went along to one of the wave of lookalike contests taking place to find out what it was all about

There is a pop culture phenomenon taking the world by storm, from New York to Dublin, San Francisco to London: lookalike contests. And last night, it was Paul Mescal’s turn – again.

This time, it was east London (no surprise there) hosting the tongue-in-cheek competitive bout, following the success of an initial event in Dublin, which ended with a (virtual) IRL meeting between Mescal and his doppelganger.

The explosion of these types of contests actually began in Washington Square Park, when YouTube star Anthony Po posted flyers around the city, calling anyone with a likeness to A-lister Timothee Chalamet to participate.

This seemingly one-time silly event punched up the social consciousness in a big way after Chalamet crashed his own contest; cementing this phenomenon into our digital zeitgeist. But what started as a joke has become full-blown pop culture pandemonium.

I was under the impression that part of the intrigue which seemingly draws attendees to these events is the hope of finding a celebrity lookalike boyfriend. If you can’t have the real thing, maybe your city’s closest match is the way to go. And so, filled with trepidation (and a healthy dose of scepticism), I went along to the Howl at the Moon pub in Hoxton to find out...

Celebrity boyfriends aside, what were the incentives? (Mitchell Kemp)

Firstly, celebrity boyfriends aside, what were the incentives? As I swiftly found out, there were many reasons to get involved, with free mullet haircuts, tattoos and Guinness (as part of the challenge) on offer. In the middle of a trim, Connor Clark told me the reason for his participation: “I work here and I just wanted to get a free haircut.” Top marks for Connor.

The main prize in store? A £20 Lidl voucher – and the opportunity to turn on the Howl Christmas lights ahead of the festive season. Such dreams are made of this...

I decided to ask a few of the locals whether they were used to high-profile events like this: in short, no. They had not been to another contest. Nevertheless, spirits were high and the energy was vibrant, particularly when the Pauls gathered together to prove their Mescal qualities.

The Pauls were presented with a series of three tasks to complete (Mitchell Kemp)

The Pauls were presented with a series of three tasks to complete, which would add to their chances of officially being crowned London’s Paul Mescal lookalike. The challenges included: saying a line in a Paul accent, splitting the G on a Guinness – and measuring the length of their shorts (the last was especially relevant).

The winner was crowned after duly stealing the crowd’s affection. Paul #4 (or, Connor Ryan) delivered a last-minute speech, winning over the judges. After speaking with him, he expressed that he was just “happy to be here” – and, spellbindingly: “I was away the last couple days and had no idea my friends signed me up, I only learned about it this morning”.

The challenges included: saying a line in a Paul accent, splitting the G on a Guinness – and measuring the length of their shorts (Mitchell Kemp)

Questioning why the celebrity was chosen for not one but two lookalike contests now, Connor said: “You can’t ever go wrong with an Irish accent”. Charlotte Hartman also noted, “Everyone loves an Irish man.” She’s not wrong.

So, what next for lookalikes? Apparently there are plans already brewing for a Zayn Malik in Bushwick, Dev Patel in San Francisco, Jeremy Allen White in Chicago and Jack Schlossberg in NYC.

What I am left wondering is how long the love for lookalikes will last – and will we see some variation soon? How long until a Zendaya lookalike contest pops up? Or House of the Dragon star, Emma D’Arcy? Or even Jeremy Clarkson? Perhaps one is enough...

Photographer: Mitchell Kemp