Seeing double: Look-alike contests taking over the world

Celebrity look-alike contests are taking over the world, and now Sydney is on board hunting for a new doppelganger.

It’s not uncommon to hear that you resemble a celebrity, but now you can actually win money for it.

Celebrity look-alike contests are popping up all over the globe, with eager doppelgangers of stars like Timothée Chalamet, Harry Styles, and Paul Mescal battling for the spotlight.

Now, the Harbour City is on the hunt for its newest look alike for Aussie actor turned Hollywood star Jacob Elordi.

A Flyer on a pole in Newtown advertising a lookalike contest for Australian actor, Jacob Elordi. To take place in Hyde Park in Sydney on December 7 at 2pm. Picture: Supplied

The trend kicked off on October 27 in New York with the first-ever Timothée Chalamet look-alike contest which attracted an unexpected 10,000 attendees, including Chalamet himself.

Miles Mitchell was declared the ultimate look alike where he won a hefty trophy and $50.

“The most unserious week of my life. I’m so grateful to have met so many amazing people in such a short amount of time!,” Mitchell said in an Instagram post.

Although it’s not a huge cash prize, people are loving it.

Timothee Chalamet even got involved in a look-alike competition. Picture:Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

Timothee Chalamet contest winner, Miles Mitchell, pictured in New York. Picture: Instagram Source: Instagram/miles.mitchell27

Sydney is the latest city to embrace the trend, hosting a Heath Ledger look-alike contest last week which saw Jude Bailey, a local, win a $51 cash prize.

The day saw 200 attendees gather to cheer on 15 competitors.

Each winner is declared by a crowd-based judging system where participants are evaluated on a cheer and its own fun challenges.

Samuel Preston (left) and Jude Bailey took part in the Health Ledger lookalike contest in Sydney last week. With Jude Bailey winning

Actor Heath Ledger in scene from film '10 Things I Hate About You'.

Ledger’s contest saw competitors in a sing-off of Can’t Take My Eyes Off You from his film 10 Things I Hate About You, pose for “moody” photos and perform their best Joker impressions.

Organised spontaneously by random people each time, the public events are advertised on social media and through flyers on local street posts.

A selection of entrants waits in line ahead of a Harry Styles lookalike competition in Soho Square on November 09, 2024 in London, England. Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images

Harry Styles arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of "My Policeman" at Regency Bruin Theatre on November 01, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. Picture: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Oscar, the winning contestant in a Harry Styles lookalike competition, is cheered by fans of the former One Direction singer. Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images

Splashed across the streets of Newtown and other Sydney streets is the upcoming Jacob Elordi look alike contest on December 7 in Hyde Park.

Elordi, 27, is an Australian actor who rose to fame in 2018 after his debut film The Kissing Booth and is also known for starring in the 2023 film Saltburn and TV series Euphoria.

Originally published as Seeing double: Look-alike contests taking over the world