That’s Outrageous

DOUBLE TAKE

SWIFT RECOGNITION

Australian teen Olivia Sturgiss was invited backstage by pop singer Taylor Swift in Melbourne. Months prior, Strurgiss had built an online following thanks to her resemblance to Swift. When the two met in December 2015, the singer caught one difference, reportedly exclaiming, “You’re so tall!” As their photo was being taken, Sturgiss noticed Swift standing on her tiptoes and wondered if she was trying to avoid being outshone. But don’t worry, there’s no bad blood between them.

SELF-REFLECTION

It started as a contest among friends: who could find their doppelgänger within 28 days? Amazingly, Niamh Geaney of Ireland appealed to social media and found hers within two weeks. Geaney was shocked by the number of strangers interested in tracking down their lookalikes. Sensing an opportunity, she created Twin Strangers. The website now has more than one million users scanning its photo database, hoping to see themselves staring back.

PLAYING POLICE

One night in October 2015, Joshua Lynam flipped on his vehicle’s redand-white lights and pulled over a car in Florida, US. There was one problem: despite looking like a cop, Lynam was a 24-year-old IT worker. And he’d flagged down an off-duty sergeant. Lynam was promptly arrested for impersonating a law enforcement officer.