Latest news with #PhilMansford
BBC News
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Look-alike Shefford dad mistaken for hip-hop star Pitbull
A father-of-four who was mistaken for the rapper and singer Pitbull and mobbed by fans at one of his concerts says the whole experience has been "crazy". Phil Mansford, 49, from Shefford, Bedfordshire, decided to go a gig at the O2 Arena in London dressed as the Latin hip-hop star in a "standard suit" - with shades on. It has become a custom to dress like the star, donning his trademark glasses, shirts and jackets - and a bald Mansford said his wife had "stuck a bit of mascara" on his greying beard, before fans began "screaming and shouting and running towards me", believing he was the star. His wife Nicole took a video of the fans' reactions, sent it to their daughter Niamh, who posted it on TikTok. The reel has had more than 3.8 million views and has been shared more than 55,000 times. "I had no idea it was going to blow up like that, it's crazy," Mr Mansford added that he was wearing "just a standard suit with shades", but due to being "follically challenged", no bald cap was a bit of fun, he added, "my wife just stuck a bit of mascara on my little beard, to make it darker, as I'm going grey. "I had no idea it was a cult following [to dress like Pitbull]." Mr Mansford said people started to notice the similarities when he was on the train heading to the concert. "As we got closer to the O2 a few more people started shouting at me," he said. "I was sticking my thumbs up, I was loving the attention, and my wife was rolling her eyes. "As we got inside, people were dancing and getting in the vibe, someone must have said 'that's him'." "The next thing - it went mad, everyone was screaming, shouting and running towards me", he said. "I was with my mate Mike [Metrovich], he's an absolute diamond, and he's a personal trainer, so he looks the part and he pretended to be my bodyguard pushing people out the way and saying, 'no, no, no, move back'."He said although he is not a massive fan of the Fireball singer, the concert was "absolutely brilliant, top drawer". Mr Mansford, the manager of a day centre for adults with learning disabilities, said he just "milked the moment for all he could" and the whole experience had been "amazing". Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Hilarious moment father is mobbed by screaming fans after being mistaken for Pitbull at rapper's O2 concert
This is the moment a father was mobbed by screaming fans after being mistaken for Pitbull at the rapper's concert. Phil Mansford, 49, went to the O2 Arena in London last week to see the real Mr. Worldwide but ended up becoming the star of the night himself. As he strolled through the busy queue, people began screaming, pointing and leaving their spots in line to follow him, convinced they were in the presence of the rapper. Phil, wearing a suit and aviator sunglasses, played along and waved his arm around which further added to the excitement. People lined up on either side of them and recorded Phil with their phones as his friend pretended to be his bodyguard. Starstruck screams could be heard in the background. Phil's daughter, Niamh, 23, shared the video online on June 11 where it quickly attracted a staggering 2.6m views. 'My parents went to see Pitbull at The O2 with some friends,' Niamh, from Bedfordshire, said. 'He didn't sign any autographs, but he took selfies with people. 'People were grabbing him and high-fiving him.' She added: 'It was mad. 'He was a bit shocked to begin with but then he thought, "You know what this is brilliant", and just went with it. 'Everyone was cheering him through the O2.' As other concert-goers stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of the Mr Worldwide lookalike, he made his way up some escalators. Phil's friend filmed a video himself as attendees swarmed the floor below them. Phil, also from Bedfordshire, attended the concert on June 10. Since Niamh shared the video, she has received 390,900 likes and tonnes of comments from viewers. One viewer said: 'This is the funniest thing ever. Everyone screaming at the bottom.' Steph said: 'Omg I have a video of everyone going mad, all convinced Pitbull just strolled through the crowd.' 'Stop this is so funny,' Beth added. Fran said: 'I am dead this is brilliant.' 'Phil really said uno, dos, tres, cuatro,' The O2 joked. It comes after a Paul Weller fan told how staff at a curry house mistook him for the singer - and said he was forced to deny being the Modfather after being asked for his autograph eight times. Martin Carroll had gone to see his idol in Wolverhampton last year when he found himself at the centre of a bizarre case of mistaken identity. By the end of it, the 56-year-old, who has dead straight blonde hair just like the star, was screaming 'I'm not Paul Weller, I'm just Martin from accounts' but no one was listening. The saga began as Martin from Stratford-upon-Avon, was waiting for his mate near the concert hall when a chef appeared from a nearby restaurant and asked him to sign his apron. 'I told him, "I'm not Paul Weller",' said Martin, 'but that was just the start of it. 'My friend Carl likes a curry before going to a gig so when he arrived we asked if they were open, went in and sat down. 'One member of staff came over and asked for a picture when we got out starters and I told him that I wasn't Paul Weller but they weren't listening. 'When the bill came, it was about £110 so my mate and we went halves on it and I showed them my card. 'I even got out my phone to show them a picture of me with Paul Weller to show them what he really looked like. 'At the end of the meal, the restaurant owner came over with her daughter asking for an autograph and I told them too that I was Martin. I must have told them eight times.' But this was not enough to convince Bilash Restaurant that they had not just served a star. Within minutes of the snap being taken they had uploaded it to their Facebook page with the words: 'The legend Paul Weller here dining tonight just before performing at the halls. 'Thank you #paulweller for choosing us for your dining experience.'
