"Are the judges blind"— Internet reacts to Zayn Malik lookalike contest's winner
A Zayn Malik lookalike competition was held in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York on Sunday, November 17, 2024. In the competition, Shiv Patel emerged as the winner, with the judges voting him as the closest lookalike to Zayn Malik. Moreover, two other people were named runners-up in the competition.
However, as videos from the event started floating on social media, several netizens expressed their disbelief, with some even asking if the judges were “blind,” as they could not find any resemblance between the winner of the event and Zayn Malik. As an X user, @PopCrave posted the video from the event, a netizen commented:
“Are the judges blind?”
Several other netizens echoed similar sentiments on the social media platform.
“Should’ve won the award for “worst lookalikes”,” wrote one X user on the post.
“None of them look like him btw,” added another netizen.
“Zayn I'm so sorry,” commented an internet user.
As the clips of the competition circulated on the internet, many mocked the judges and the participants as the netizens struggled hard to find any resemblance between the winners and Zayn Malik.
“I would be fine letting nobody win if nobody looks like the actual person,” exclaimed one user.
“Who lied to them,” added another social media user.
“They picked some random guys lol,” an X user shared.
With the growing popularity of lookalike competitions, many publications, including The Express Tribune, have reported that a Zendaya lookalike competition is set to take place on November 20 in Oakland, California.
Timothée Chalamet and Harry Styles lookalike contests held before Zayn Malik event
Before hundreds of people gathered in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York for the Zayn Malik lookalike contest on Sunday, a similar contest was held in October 2024, where fans gathered to win the Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest.
What made the Timothée Chalamet competition particularly notable was the surprise appearance of Chalamet himself, which made fans go gaga. These lookalike contests have gained popularity, as many fans eagerly search for people resembling their favorite stars.
As reported by the BBC on November 17, 2024, Miles Mitchell, a 20-year-old student, recently won a Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest. Mitchell stated:
"I was there at the time Dune was released, so people kept asking me in shops and restaurants if I was Timothée on a press tour. I was drawn to the event as socialising can be really expensive so my friends and I loved the fact this was a free and fun event."
Thereafter, in London, 22-year-old musician Oscar Journeaux took home the prize for his Harry Styles impression, admitting he joined "for the publicity." Speaking to the BBC, Oscar said:
"I thought I could get a bit of fame and promo for my music and the industry is so hard to break into, you really have to get yourself out there. People want to think there's a deeper meaning to these events, but really we're all just bored millennials and Gen Z looking for something to do."
Meanwhile, Jaipreet Hundal had his moment in San Francisco, winning a Dev Patel lookalike competition.
Fans were also anticipating a surprise appearance by Zayn Malik at the event, but the singer has yet to address the event and the reactions of the masses.