A woman who looks so much like Kate Moss she tricked half of Manchester into believing the supermodel was shopping in the Ancoats Aldi has gone on to actual fashion stardom.
The stunner has just this week made a surprise appearance on the runway at Paris Fashion Week, walking for French designer Marine Serre.
And it’s not the first time she’s hit headlines – although the first time, it was a case of mistaken identity.
Denise Ohnona, from Ormskirk, who is a complete doppelganger for supermodel Kate Moss, was booked by Aldi for a very clever publicity stunt when Manchester was in the grips of Chanel fever.
Wearing dark sunglasses, a long leather coat and heeled boots, she managed to trick the public and several press outlets (not us though, we hasten to add) into believing fashion royalty was having a brew outside a Northern Quarter coffee shop.
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Which was obviously not the case.
Denise said people have often told her she looks like Kate Moss but didn’t think much of it until she was approached by a lookalike agency.
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She said: “It’s one thing to be hired as a ‘Lookalike’ to attend a store opening or red carpet event, where everyone knows it’s not actually the celebrity, it’s just for a bit of fun, but it’s another thing when a company like Aldi comes to you with a PR stunt, where they want to fool not only the public, but the press.
“These sort of jobs always come with slight anxiety, because you think to yourself, will people know who I’m supposed to be? Will people really believe it’s Kate Moss?
“Well thankfully they did and Aldi caused quite the controversy, with all the major papers running the story.
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“I guess I should thank my Mum and Dad for these cheek bones. And although I’m a stay at home mum, who’s life is anything but glamorous, it’s always nice to put on some heels and shades for a day and put a smile on people’s faces”
And now Denise has struck fame once again after her appearance at Paris Fashion Week.
The 43-year-old appeared on This Morning yesterday to discuss her whirlwind journey.
She said that she’s naturally a shy person and when her agent initially asked her about a job in Paris she said no.
But after being persuaded by a friend, she was suddenly on the catwalk at the world’s most famous fashion event.
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Denise said: “I didn’t release how big it was. The models and the whole production and everything. I was like a little girl who got to play dress up for the day and be one of the catwalk models. So it was fun but scary.
“I’m so glad I did it. ‘If it scares you do it anyway,’ that’s what I tell my kids. “
All the major Manchester locations used in Netflix’s Missing You
Daisy Jackson
Netflix and Harlan Coben thrillers have become bosom pals in recent years, and they love nothing more than to use Manchester as a filming location for all that action.
The popular streaming platform was back in town last year filming Missing You, a series that has immediately shot to the top-watched list since its release.
The eagle-eyed among you may have spotted more than a few familiar sights, with filming for Missing You taking place all over Manchester city centre and beyond.
You might also have spotted a few places that look familiar but not quite right, thanks to a bit of CGI rearranging the city.
Believe it or not, this is the ninth time that Netflix has adapted one of Harlan Coben’s books, and this is the third time they’ve filmed in Manchester.
Set to release on 1 January 2025, Missing You stars Rosalind Eleazar in the lead role as Kat Donovan, a detective specialising in Missing Persons.
Starring alongside other big British names like Ashley Walters, Richard Armitage, Sir Lenny Henry; Steve Pemberton, Jessica Plummer and James Nesbitt, the series is once again produced by Quay Street Productions (part of ITV Studios).
As the thrilling series goes on, you’ll see scenes like a meeting in Manchester Art Gallery, a tense conversation at Ancoats Marina, and even more tension (the whole thing is honestly quite tense) beneath the Pomona Island tram stop.
There are also a few scenes that take place on a band stand in a park, with Deansgate Square in the background. What the hell park is this, you ask? It’s actually Sefton Park in Liverpool, with our skyline edited in.
Trafford Town hall also doubles up as a police station in Missing You, again with the Manchester skyline added into the background.
Our heroic main character’s apartment is slap bang in the heart of Castlefield, and even the opening scene shows the familiar sight of a bustling Edge Street.
How many locations did you spot in Missing You?
Manchester Art Gallery
Manchester Art Gallery in Missing You. Credit: Netflix
Ancoats Marina
Missing You used Ancoats Marina as one of its filming locations. Credit: Netflix
Pomona Island
Pomona Island. Credit: Netflix
Edge Street
Edge Street in the Northern Quarter in Missing You. Credit: Netflix
Castle Armoury, Bury
Castle Armoury, Bury
Trafford Town Hall
Trafford Town Hall in Missing You on Netflix
Mason’s Restaurant in Manchester Hall
Mason’s. Credit: Netflix
Castlefield
Castlefield in Missing You, Netflix.
Featured image: Netflix
TV & Showbiz
Jake Quickenden to star in stage version of cult classic British comedy, Rita, Sue and Bob Too!
Danny Jones
The original stage play version of classic UK comedy, Rita, Sue and Bob Too!, is coming to Greater Manchester this February and it’s set to star Jake Quickenden in a leading role.
Released as a feature-length back in 1987, the cult favourite film set in North Yorkshire is still considered one of the most quintessentially British and incisive ‘dramedies’ ever made, depicting a very unfiltered and poignant look at working-class life during the Thatcher years.
The story has been brought to the theatre many times before, including down the road in Salford Quays, but this latest series of stage shows marks the first time Rita, Sue and Bob Too! the play is heading to this particular borough.
With a healthy slate of tour dates across the country, the Regal Entertainments production and recognisable cast is coming to Stockport for multiple nights next month.
Adapting the original semi-autobiographical play text by Bradford‘s very own Andrea Dunbar – where the tale takes place and whose upbringing the events revolve around – with direction from Chantelle Nolan, this is one of the biggest live productions of Rita, Sue and Bob Too! ever.
Speaking ahead of the nationwide tour, Nolan says: “After over 20 years of producing brilliant entertainment in St Helens and in Liverpool, Regal Entertainments has developed a touring department, and we can’t wait to share our five-star productions with new audiences across the UK.”
“We’re very proud to attract the top stars from the worlds of theatre, film and TV to star in our productions […] Dunbar’s cult classic film was originally a hit play, and we know that it’s a show that you can see time and time again and still be rolling in the aisles with laughter, we are incredibly pleased with the ticket sales so far.”
As well as the former X-Factor, I’m A Celeb, Hollyoaks and Dancing on Ice star in the leading role as Bob, other names on the call sheet include Jessica Ellis (also seen on Hollyoaks), Shameless and Coronation Street‘s Warren Donnelly, as well as ex-Britain’s Got Talent contestant, Siobhan Phillips.
As for the other two leads, Liverpool-born comic Kay Nicholson is starring as Rita and Lancashire actor Jenna Sian O’Hara as Sue. In case you’ve never seen or heard anything about it before, without spoiling anything, the two young schoolgirls get themselves into some rather adult circumstances.
Strictly an 18+ performance, the Stockport show is one of just a small handful of North West runs, set to take place at the iconic art deco theatre that is The Plaza from Tuesday, 18-Saturday, 22 February.
As for Quickenden, the 36-year-old added: “I’m delighted to be joining the brilliant cast of Rita, Sue and Bob Too! Regal Entertainments have a fantastic reputation for producing exciting entertainment in Merseyside and I can’t wait to take the show all over the UK.
“Andrea Dunbar’s play is a classic and I can’t wait to play Bob.” If you’ve not come across it before, maybe ask your mum and dad or perhaps a grandparent – we’re sure they’ll fill you in…
Daisy Jackson -
8th March 2024 
