Oliver fought off some very tough competition, though. A man who works at the State Library (and didn’t know anything about the contest or Elordi himself) threatened entering, but had to get back because his lunch break was over. “What’s his name again?” he asked. “I am just here for the [$50 prize] money.”
And Alicia Liang-Morgan, the 21-year-old organiser of the event, almost entered her dad – who was also in attendance.
The crowds were small, but the spirits were high.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui
“I feel like there are two bad scenarios,” she said before the event, dressed in a makeshift “I <3 Jacob Elordi” T-shirt she drew on the car ride into the city. “Either no one comes at all, or there are way too many people and I get a fine.” (Her dad had also promised to pay the fine if it came to that.)
All things considered, though, she’s happy with how it played out.
“I wanted to have a little silly event, an escape from real life. And honestly, I don’t think we could have got a better lookalike. That’s JACOB!” The pair spent some time embracing and posing for a photoshoot like he’s Elordi and she’s a crazed fan. They all suggested making a WhatsApp after.
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Fellow contestant Matthew Faiz, a 19-year-old who doubted his chances in part because he is South-Asian, agrees that the best man won. “It definitely pales in comparison to the other [international events],” he said. “But the vibe is still there.”
“It’s nice to be part of a fun thing,” Oliver says. “I’m all about more free, fun things.” (He and his mates duck into the State Library after to visit the free Rennie Ellis exhibition, Melbourne Out Loud, and he has to leave his giant winner’s sign at reception with a very confused security guard).
When asked how his family will respond to his newfound celebrity, he says: “I think my mum will feel really proud about this for no reason … And I think my siblings will be really mean to me.”
Heath Ledger lookalike contestant Jude Bailey receives first place at Camperdown Memorial Rest Park.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos
In Sydney, the winner of the Heath Ledger lookalike contest was also thinking about his mum.
Jude Bailey said he chose to enter because he’s “been told [he] looks like Heath Ledger, pretty much my whole life … My mum said I had to come down. I couldn’t disappoint my mum.”
Bailey competed against some (genuinely) tough competition, with all three top placegetters bearing a striking resemblance to the late star. Contestants were judged on their appearance, singing and ability to “look moody while holding a film camera”.
“It’s just a beautiful thing to do on a Saturday – something different,” said second-place-getter Samuel Preston. He entered the competition after being sent the viral flyer by friends and co-workers.
The man who came third, Oscar, was more frank.
“I’m here to win the $51,” he said (an amount the organiser, comedian Josh Khoury, decided on to “literally one up” other competitions). “I’m kind of broke at the moment so I need the money.”
With Nadia Russell
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