Evening Standard sparks hilarity by accidentally using photo of George Michael lookalike
(Twitter/thesturge)
The Evening Standard has incurred ridicule online for using a picture of a George Michael lookalike instead of the real star.
The newspaper made the mistake yesterday in a story about the largest study to ever be conducted into a heart condition that led to George’s death.
Under the photo, the caption read: “Sufferers: DCM led to George Michael’s death.”
(Twitter/thesturge)
Except the picture was actually of tribute act Rob Lamberti, who in 1994 went on ITV show Stars in Their Eyes as the late, great singer.
He even appeared on the BBC One programme Even Better Than the Real Thing, which showcased the best tribute acts in Britain, singing hits like “Faith,” “Father Figure” and even “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down” with an Elton John impersonator.
Lamberti, who found his passion while singing karaoke in Northumberland, is currently touring the UK.
However, he is very much not George.
(Twitter/penny_watcher)
Standard readers were duly tickled by the mishap.
One true genius posted – to the tune of Faith, we assume: “Well I guess it would be nice. If they could get a picture, I know not every picture, can be a picture of me.
(Twitter/stesaunders22)
“But they gotta think twice. Before they say that it is me, and you know all the things they say, will never make it true. ”
Another wrote, balefully: “I know im getting old when the staff you use on newspapers are so young they don’t remember what George Micheal actually looked like so they just go for best guess via Google Images lol.”
(Twitter/colnyve)
There were those who encouraged others to suspend their disbelief, like one who said: “Of course it is, believe us, you gotta have faith!”
(Twitter/floydy3663)
“Freddie thinks so “, joked one commenter.
(Twitter/bobbert56)
“How can anybody not know who George Michael is …. baby here’s your man!” wrote another joker above a photo of Tom Selleck.
(Twitter/gazdenwhitt)
One more said: “This is George Michael” above a photo of former EastEnders actor Michael Greco, who played Beppe di Marco on the BBC show.
(Twitter/andykiko)
“Looks more like Bono than George Michael!” said this person – and many, many others.
(Twitter/zonaljoe)
But, as one Standard reader rightly pointed out, it’s easy to make mistakes in a newsroom.
“I saw that too,” she wrote. “It’s not hard to get a photo of the icon rather than one of his tribute acts.”
(Twitter/patsy_lou)
They are, of course, completely right. After all, Lamberti looks a great deal like the Last Christmas star.
The Evening Standard has been contacted for comment.
This week, Fadi Fawaz opened up about discovering the body of George, who was Fawaz’s long-term boyfriend at the time of his death.
