Australian singer and viral social media star Sean Millis was at Old Trafford to watch the West Ham game this past weekend, and even got to see his so-called ‘lookalike’ Rasmus Højlund score a birthday goal for Manchester United for his troubles.
The solo artist from Down Under first rose to fame on The Voice Australia back in 2023 but has gone on to become even more of an online sensation after a group of football fans began comparing him to Højlund when he first arrived at the club.
Although many of the comments started out as somewhat cruel abuse from keyboard warriors attempting to mock the Danish striker when he hadn’t yet started scoring for Man United, since then Millis has been determined to brush it off and turn all the attention into nothing but love.
Having simply embraced the ‘doppelganger’ remarks — sharing videos congratulating Højlund now the goals have started flowing and even printing a ‘ho-ho-Højlund’ Christmas jumper, as well as reacting to memes on his TikTok — Millis took things one further with a surprise trip to the Theatre of Dreams where he was flocked by fans wanting a picture with his ‘lookalike’.
As you can see, while there may have been pockets of nastiness online at the outset, there were crowds of Reds lining up to ask for a photo with him and even singing along to his now viral track, ‘Waiting On a Miracle’, which went to number one here in the UK.
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Speaking to Sky Sports last week when he first landed in London, the 22-year-old explained that he had travelled 26 hours to get to the UK, which in itself was a big deal for him as his rare condition means travel is difficult.
Millis has a genetic disorder known as Hunter syndrome where the body doesn’t properly break down sugar molecules, causing abnormalities in many organs which often alters a person’s physical appearance and, in Sean’s case, limited lung capacity. The condition also means that he visits hospitals for several hours every day for vital therapy and treatment.
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All that being said, he’s become somewhat of a cult hero not only among United fans but countless people online who have been inspired by his story even since The Voice, revealing that he had “so many messages from people living with a rare disease from countries all over the world” thanking him for sheer positivity online.
As a nice bonus to top things off, he also got to see the 21-year-old forward score a goal on his birthday, no less, and the video of him celebrating amongst the Old Trafford faithful is pure wholesome vibes.
Having just released another new song called ‘Fight With Fire’, all about resilience and never giving up, he also did a private meet and greet with his ever-growing fan base and social media followers upon arriving for his first visit to the UK.
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Whether you agree with the Rasmus Højlund-Sean Millis ‘lookalike’ opinion or not, we are absolutely here for watching him celebrate goals here in Manchester whilst gathering more support and spreading his uplifting outlook on life in spite of everything.
What a king.
You can watch the highlights from Man United’s 3-0 over West Ham and that birthday boy goal here:
Pubs can extend their opening hours if England make it to the Euro 2024 semi-finals
Emily Sergeant
Pubs are to be permitted to extend their opening hours if England make it through to the semi-finals of EURO 2024 this summer.
With the Premier League, and the English and Scottish football leagues, all drawing to a close over the next couple of weeks, our nations are already looking ahead to what is gearing up to be a massive summer of sport – with both the UEFA EURO 2024, and the 2024 Olympics coming up before August is out.
And now, it’s been revealed by Home Secretary James Cleverly that if either England or Scotland’s mens national football teams make it to the semi-final of European football’s flagship tournament, then pubs will be allowed to stay open for longer.
But, there’s a bit of a catch… because isn’t there always?
The Government has said that venues will be allowed to stay open for an extra two hours on match days if either or both teams reach the last four or the final of the competition, but this only applies to pubs that already have a license to open until 11pm anyway.
The move to extend opening hours comes after a consultation at the end of last year, and is hoped to provide a boost to the hospitality industry – which has notably been hit hard during the ongoing cost of living crisis.
The Home Secretaries in England and Wales, under Section 172 of the Licensing Act 2003, can make an order relaxing licensing hours to mark occasions of “exceptional national significance”, but the Scottish and Northern Irish Governments have to set their own rules.
“We have listened to the public through our consultation,” explained Home Secretary James Cleverley, “and we will be extending pub licensing hours should England or Scotland reach the semi-finals or final of Euro 2024.”
The EURO 2024 semi-finals are to be held on Tuesday 9 and Wednesday 10 July / Credit: UEFA
Mr Cleverley said the move will “allow friends, families and communities to come together for longer to watch their nation hopefully bring it home”.
This legislation is set to be laid in Parliament today (Wednesday 8 May) to ensure there is enough time for it to be debated and passed before the tournament begins on Friday 14 June, the Government has confirmed.
A young lad is walking all the way from Manchester to Ibiza for a truly tear-jerking cause
Danny Jones
We recently came across the story of a young man who has set himself the task of walking all the way from Manchester to Ibiza in an effort to raise money for a truly tear-jerking charitable cause.
In case you haven’t heard of him already, the legend responsible behind this is Henry Oscar Moores, a 21-year-old from Macclesfield in Cheshire who is essentially completing a marathon every single day to complete his voyage from rainy 0161 to sunny Spain.
Nearly halfway into his epic trek already, the youngster has been battling plenty of obstacles, not least heavy rain – and that was just here in Greater Manchester…
Going live each day as thousands of followers tune in to support his latest steps, his real-world journey has sparked a wholesome new community online and we’ve got nothing but the utmost respect.
It’s set to take him around 60 days in total, all being well, but what exactly is Henry Moores doing all this for? Or rather who?
Well, the answer is as heartwarming as it is heartbreaking, as the ‘Henry Walk’ from Manchester to Ibiza is all in aid of the Tony Hudgell Foundation, a charity set up in honour of the now nine-year-old boy of the same name and the youngest ever Pride of Britain winner.
Hudgell was sadly the victim of horrific child abuse ever since he was a toddler, so much so that he had to have both of his legs amputated as a result of the treatment. In 2020, when he was still just five, Tony set out to raise £500 by walking 10k in his prosthetic legs. He ended up amassing £1.8m. Incredible.
With a non-profit officially registered in his name since 2021, the organisation aims to provide support to children affected by physical, emotional or psychological abuse. His story also helped usher in Tony’s Law. Now taking over the reins, Henry is pounding the pavement on his behalf – and smashing it.
He’s even been given an added incentive by Ibiza’s Ocean Beach owner, Wayne Lineker.
Promising to help Henry finish the walk if he makes it all the way to his final 30k leg in Ibiza Town to the famous club – he’s already polished off the 507km from Manchester to Portsmouth and is currently chipping away at the 1818km stint from Caen in France to Denia – Lineker and the likes of radio DJ Charlie Sloth have been backing the effort since day one.
Describing Tony as an inspirational young figure “who captures hearts with his bravery, optimism, and infectious smile”, even despite his daily struggle and constant treatment, we can’t overstate the admiration we have for both of them. He’s already smashed his initial £20k and just keeps going.
“We really appreciate any donations; we know times are tough. Don’t hesitate if you can’t donate; continue to share and support us in any other way. Thanks to everyone for the past couple of weeks; it’s been insane.” You can do your bit by donating HERE or to Tony Hudgell’s operation fund directly.