Whether he’s turning on his club, coach and teammates or not, it cannot be denied that Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most famous people on the planet.
Considering his astronomical levels of fame, you’d think most people would be able to recognise the footballing superstar when they see him. Unless you’re this bloke of course.
For those uninitiated, this seemingly gullible gentleman is YouTuber, Twitch streamer and social media personality, IShowSpeed, who has shot to fame in the past year or so.
One of the reasons he has become so popular online is that he’s prone to the odd viral moment (or two) — for instance, being fooled by a Ronaldo lookalike.
Credit: IShowSpeed YouTube channel
As you can see in the video above, teaming up with crypto-brand ‘The Paradox Metaverse’, IShowSpeed is live streaming to his countless followers when those around him inform the teenager that they have a surprise for him: a Ronaldo lookalike which just so happens to fool him.
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It’s not exactly uncanny, is it? We’d like to believe he’s faking it but the face and overall reaction make us think otherwise. Plus, the fella has form for this kind of thing.
If you’ve ever come across this young man before, you’ll know that he has a track record for this kind of gaffe and despite playing games like FIFA for millions of viewers and becoming more and more engrossed in the world of football, it’s fair to say his knowledge of the game isn’t the best.
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A recent example would be when the impressionable American was pranked by fellow content creators Harry Pinero and Mark Golbridge of The United Stand YouTube channel into thinking they were part of past Manchester United teams.
Again, Speed — real name Darren Watkins Jr. — has so many of these pranks and memes in his locker that he must be joking or playing up to for clicks at this point.
On the other hand, he’s such a puzzling persona that we really can’t tell what’s real and what’s fake anymore and neither can he, apparently.
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He’s either very easily fooled or very good at playing the social media game.
Meanwhile, following his blockbuster interview with Piers Morgan, the real CR7 has ironically had his instantly recognisable likeness stripped from the front of Old Trafford as the club considers taking legal action following his comments.
The 37-year-old has levelled a number of claims at his current club, criticising the Glazers and lack of progression at the club, digging out his own manager in Erik ten Hag, and even taking aim at former teammates like Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney.
We wouldn’t expect to see him in a United shirt again.
Still, they could stick this average lookalike on the pitch and Speed wouldn’t spot the difference.
Rio Ferdinand is stepping away from TNT Sports after more than a decade
Danny Jones
Manchester United legend and ex-England international Rio Ferdinand has announced he will be stepping away from TNT Sports, leaving more than a decade with the broadcaster.
Ferdinand has spent the best part of the last 10 years serving as a leading pundit and analyst, as well as hosting his own ‘Rio Meets’ online series – the interview format of which has been replicated on his YouTube channel.
However, after having been one of their main anchors both under the BT Sport and even more so since the inception of the rebranded TNT Sports Football umbrella, the 46-year-old has confirmed he has now quit their regular coverage following the Champions League final this weekend.
In a lengthy statement on social media, the ex-Man United defender, who also played for Leeds, West Ham, Bournemouth and QPR, described it as a “difficult decision.”
Taking time to thank the network for their “tremendous support” over the years, especially those “behind the scenes, whose work often goes unseen but has been essential to our success.”
The talented centre-back retired in May 2015 after more than 500 appearances and 81 national team caps, making an almost immediate switch into punditry and remaining a household name.
Rio has also remained a popular figure at Old Trafford and, indeed, across various parts of Manchester since leaving United in 2014.
For instance, his self-titled Foundation has carried out some truly transformational local outreach across various boroughs, as it has back in his home city of London.
Responding to the news, TNT Sports said nothing more than “Thanks for everything, Rio”; meanwhile, fellow former Red, Danny Simpson (who retired last year and also works as a pundit/presenter for MUTV) added: “You’re going to be missed, bro. Every time you’re on, you give us all the mad insight.”
However, he has promised he will remain in the media industry, continuing to work under the Rio Ferdinand Presents digital brand and pursuing “other business interests”.
With his ‘Rio Reacts’ and ‘Vibe with FIVE’ series regularly raking in millions of views, he might not be on the box during European nights but you’ll still be seeing plenty of him.
Rare bat-eared foxes have arrived at Chester Zoo for the first time in more than 30 years
Emily Sergeant
It’s time to say a big hello, as rare bat-eared foxes have now arrived at Chester Zoo.
The two sisters, named Maasai and Malindi, have been welcomed by conservationists after travelling more than 500 miles from a zoo in Paris, and they are the first mammals of their kind to come to Chester Zoo in more than 30 years.
First images show the pair exploring their home in the zoo’s new Heart of Africa habitat – which officially opened to the public back in March, and is the largest zoo development ever undertaken in the UK, spanning more than 22.5 acres in size.
The adorable – but rather unique-looking – bat-eared fox is named after its distinctive oversized ears and is native to the open savannahs and arid grasslands of eastern and southern Africa.
They live for around 13 years on average, and their characteristically large ears help regulate their body temperature and enhance their incredible hearing, allowing them to prey like detect insects moving underground.
The species faces increasing threats in the wild, largely due to the loss of their habitat caused by agriculture, human encroachment, and hunting.
This is why Chester Zoo has long been at the forefront of protecting African wildlife.
Its teams’ have been supporting everything from the safe translocation of northern giraffes to protected national parks in Uganda, to developing cutting-edge AI trail cameras to protect giant pangolins from illegal trafficking in recent years.
Bat-eared foxes have arrived at Chester Zoo for the first time in 30 years / Credit: Chester Zoo
“It’s incredibly exciting to welcome bat-eared foxes back to Chester Zoo after a 30-year hiatus,” commented David White, who is the Twilight Team Manager at Chester Zoo.
“Both Maasai and Malindi are settling in well so far, spending much of their time exploring their expansive home and getting to know their new housemates – a family of twelve Cape porcupines. These two species would often come across one another in the wild, so we’ve recreated this right here at Chester.
“In time, we hope to introduce one of the two sisters to a male fox, with the hope that we can contribute to the European conservation breeding programme, helping to ensure there’s a healthy, genetically diverse back-up population in human care.
Danny Jones -
17th November 2022 
