Amused? C4 creates fake Queen
A digitally created "deepfake" version of the Queen, played by actress Debra Stephenson, delivered Channel 4' s alternative Christmas message and offered a stark warning about misinformation and fake news.
The channel's annual Christmas Day broadcast showed the Queen telling viewers: "On the BBC, I haven't always been able speak plainly and from the heart.
"So, I am grateful to Channel 4 for giving me the opportunity to say whatever I like, without anyone putting words in my mouth."
The artificially rendered version of the monarch, created by visual effects studio Framestore, shared her thoughts on the departure of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex from the UK, and the scandal surrounding the Duke of York and his connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
She also performed a Tiktok dance routine and revealed her penchant for "Netflix and Phil" with the Duke of Edinburgh.
Deepfake t echnolog y has become increasingly prevalent over recent years and can be used to create convincing but completely manufactured video content of high- profile figures, most notably of former US president Barack Obama, who has been the subject of a number of deepfake videos.
The artificial rendering of the Queen, devised by special effects creatives at Framestore, was directed by William Bartlett, and Stephenson read a script by James Kettle.
The e nd o f t he message showed the artificially created images flickering before disappearing to reveal the green screen used to manufacture images of Buckingham Palace and show it was in fact Stephenson playing the Queen.
The actress said: "I have an
intense fascination with deepfake technology. For years I have studied people to impersonate them for TV, but now I can truly become them.
"As an actress it is thrilling but it is also terrifying if you
consider how this could be used in other contexts."
Ian Katz, director of pro - grammes at Channel 4, said: "Deepfake technology is the frightening new frontier in t he battl e bet ween misin
f o r mati o n a nd t r ut h. Thi s ye a r ' s Al t e r nat i ve Chri s t - mas Address w\ s a powerful reminder that we can no longer trust our own eyes."