An Ed Sheeran lookalike has told of how he had to be rescued by security after being mobbed by fans asking for selfies at one of the star’s recent Manchester gigs.
30-year-old Wes Byrne, from Shaw in Oldham, has already made a name for himself and grabbed headlines in the past for paying what is an uncanny resemblance to the chart-topping singer, and often gets mistaken from him that much that he picks up extra work as a lookalike on top of his full-time job as a council binman.
Wes said that his resemblance to Ed Sheeran means that “not a day goes by when I don’t get stopped or asked for a selfie” by fans.
He admitted that his girlfriend Leah “absolutely hates it”.
But the selfie requests seem to have been taken to a whole new level when Wes – who has previously met Sheeran – took his sister Sammy, 33, and her eight-year-old son AJ to one of the singer’s sold-out shows at the Etihad Stadium earlier this month, and security at the venue had to step in to help.
ADVERTISEMENT
Security guards took action after Wes was feared to be creating a fire risk due to being mobbed by so many fans in the audience asking to take a picture with him, and moved him from his £82.50 seat, to a VIP zone where tickets sell for more than £1,000.
Ed Sheeran played four sold-out shows at the Etihad Stadium earlier this month / Credit: Zakary Walters (via Instagram – @teddysphotos)
“I got lots of looks when I first walked in, but it wasn’t until the first person asked for a selfie that the floodgates opened,” Wes told the Daily Mirror.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Nearly everyone knew I was a lookalike, although a few kids thought I was the real Ed.
“About 15 minutes before Ed came on stage, the queue for selfies with me was all the way down a line of steps and out an exit, so security told us to go with them to some executive seats [but] we weren’t complaining – it was a much better view.
“It was AJ’s first-ever music gig and he thought all the attention was hilarious.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Former Love Island star Callum Jones was one of the people to grab a selfie with Wes at the Manchester gig / Credit: Callum Jones (via Instagram)
Wes has used his resemblance to Ed to his advantage over the years, telling his story in the papers and appearing on ITV’s This Morning, and he even got to meet the famous singer himself back when he acted as a body double for a Heinz tomato ketchup advert back in 2019.
Although looks is apparently where Wes’s resemblance to Ed starts and ends though, as the while he may look like Sheeran, Wes doesn’t think he can compete when it comes to music, admitting that he’s “an awful singer”.
“I did try learning the guitar but I gave up because I was useless,” Wes added.
Featured Image – ITV
Trending
ITV confirms release date for new single parents dating show dubbed ‘middle-aged Love Island’
Emily Sergeant
ITV has confirmed that its brand-new dating series for single parents is officially a thing, and it’s hitting our screens later this year.
It had long been rumoured that ITV had a somewhat Love Island-inspired spin-off series geared more towards those looking for love in the middle of their lives in the works, with reports hotly-tipping it to hit screens soon first surfacing back in July of last year – but nothing was actually set in stone at that point.
Then it was revealed back in January that, after months of speculation, all the rumours were true, as the broadcaster was actively casting for contestants and calling on single parents across the UK to get their applications in.
Already having been dubbed “middle-aged Love Island”, but previously called the working title of The Romance Retreat, ITV explained when it first put out the casting call that the new series would see a group of “vibrant single parents” from across the UK all meet under one roof, and that it was set to be the only dating show where they can search for love in a safe space.
Now, coming up to six months after that initial casting call, ITV has confirmed that the long-awaited series is finally set to hit TV screens later this autumn.
Given the new official title of My Mum, Your Dad, and hosted by legendary TV presenter Davina McCall, ITV took to social media yesterday to reveal that the “secret is finally out”.
Teasing a little more information about the new show, ITV explained: “My Mum, Your Dad is a brand-new series following a group of single parents looking for a second chance at love. They’ve been nominated by their grown-up kids, but what they don’t know is that their kids are watching their every move, playing matchmaker and holding cushions over their faces as they watch the shenanigans.”
An exact release date for the show is expected to be announced by ITV in due course, so you’ll need to keep your eyes peeled.
Featured Image – ITV
Trending
Matty Healy delivers perfect reply to being called a ‘slack-jawed f***wit’ by Noel Gallagher live on stage
Danny Jones
Matty Healy is once again poking the beehive and after being called a “slack-jawed f***wit’ by Noel Gallagher, The 1975 frontman delivered the perfect comedic response to his comments.
Healy was on stage in Dublin on Wednesday, 7 June, essentially warming up for himself after American singer Caroline Polachek had to pull out of the show, playing an hour of additional 1975 songs that didn’t make it onto the headline setlist.
A much more informal set than the main show — just Matty, a guitar, a keyboard his laptop and a little help from bandmate Jamie Squire — he spent lots of time chatting with the crowd and at one point, addressed the Manc music legend’s recent roasting.
The former Oasis songwriter and guitarist was sitting down with The Spin when the interviewer asked what he made of Matty Healy’s comments that he and brother Liam should “stop marding” and get back together — to which Noel said: “Oh, that slack-jawed f***wit… He needs to get over how shit his band is and split up.” Bit harsh but the 34-year-old seemed to take it in stride and had his own cold comeback.
Clearly enjoying having riled up the 56-year-old, Healy fired back by saying “The difference between me and Noel is I do a series of interviews to promote an album, whereas he does an album to promote a series of interviews”.
As one person posted in the comments, “I’m not the biggest 1975 fan but he’s absolutely mugged him off here”, and a lot of people tended to agree.
Healy did assure the cheering crowd that he and the band all “love Noel Gallagher” and claimed that they even “asked Liam to open up for [them] but he was busy” — we would have paid good money to see that happen.
Nevertheless, we’re certainly enjoying this hilarious little spat between the two and whatever you make of the two of them, they sure. Also, Matty’s right, the Gallagher bros should just get over it already and give the people what they want: an Oasis reunion. One day, we can always pray.
Emily Sergeant -
22nd June 2022 
