Post-Brexit life is hell for this Boris Johnson lookalike

Amongst all the joy and happiness that went round music fans when the Stone Roses buried the hatchet and reformed a few years ago, it was easy to forget that their decision had serious ramifications for four other lads: yes, it was a seriously bad day for the Clone Roses, whose future touring schedule was suddenly looking somewhat dicey.

Similarly, just imagine having made a career out of being a Rolf Harris lookalike, and then, through no fault of your own, being seriously unwelcome at childrens' parties for the rest of time. More recently, we spent a night out on the tiles in Leicester with a Jamie Vardy lookalike, just as it looked like he was going to leave the club to join Arsenal.

And the curse of the lookalike has struck again, with Drew Galdron, a man who has found work as a Boris Johnson doppelgänger since 2007, telling the Daily Star how his life has taken a turn for the worse after the dramatic political events of the last couple of weeks.

"In the past few weeks I’ve become very concerned about drawing attention to myself", he said.

"I’m honestly worried to leave the house as I’m scared of what people could do. I have to think twice every time I want to go out as I can’t always expect the public to be respectful. I’m used to people yelling things at me and trying to take pictures but at the minute I’m worried something more serious could happen. I have a history of mental illness and agoraphobia and sadly recent events have made it worse.”

Drew, 33, became a lookalike when Boris was preparing to run for London mayor, and he explained, “He wasn’t well known then but when he ran for Mayor people started saying how much we looked alike and I just sort of fell into it. The similarities stop at our looks though. I like his personality, but I don’t agree with his politics. People joke around and ask if I’m his love child. I say, ‘No, I’m his conscience.’ I couldn’t believe it when he said he wouldn’t run for Tory leader. If he had it would have been a great little money earner for me. It is my only job at the moment so of course I want to make money. But at the same time there was a sense of relief.”

Johnson was widely criticised first for fronting the campaign to leave the EU - a decision many believe he made not because he believed in it, but because being a plucky loser gave him his best chance of becoming Prime Minister in 2018 - and then for seeming to disappear in the aftermath of the vote. Despite this, he was overwhelming favourite to become PM until his ally Michael Gove performed a Caesar-like betrayal when he announced he was standing for the top job himself.

Drew continued, “Luckily there hasn’t been anything terrible, but I’m not very thickskinned. I get people muttering things under their breath when they walk past me, which is upsetting. If I’m dressed up as him I sort of expect it. But I hate it when I’m trying to go about my daily business and people start taking pictures of me. It’s not even subtle - it’s really blatant and they’ll come over and stick a camera in my face. On another occasion I was filming a documentary and a homeless man started hurling abuse at me.”

So remember next time a celebrity falls foul of public opinion: just think of the lookalike.