ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES
Iffy Onwuachu, 23, from London, bears a striking resemblance to a famous boxer…
An entrepreneur who is constantly accosted by adoring fans for being the spitting image of boxer Anthony Joshua, now works as his professional lookalike and admits he even mistakes photos of the champion for himself, too.
‘The first time I realised I looked like Anthony Joshua was in 2016 when he won the British and Commonwealth titles,’ Iffy says.
‘I was at a party in Kingston when a random guy came up to me in the bathroom and asked if I was actually him. ‘At this point, I didn’t have a clue who Anthony Joshua was, so I asked to see a picture of him. ‘The stranger showed me a picture of Anthony holding the GB flag at the Olympics, and to be honest, I didn’t really seethe resemblance.’
But over the next few years, Iffy started to get more and more attention from strangers thinking he was the famous boxer.
‘I was going for a run one evening and a man behind me started shouting ‘Joshua!’’ he explains.
‘I stopped and waited for him to catch up and he was so happy to see me, giving me accolades.
‘He said he was a huge fan and asked if he could run with me.
‘We stopped a few times because he wanted to get a picture with me. ‘I was amazed at the fact that he actually thought I was Anthony Joshua – it was honestly hilarious!
‘He asked me about my training routines and whether I was ready for my next fight.
‘I just kept going along with the whole thing because by this point, I was in too deep pretending I was actually him and I didn’t want to disappoint the guy.’
In February 2019, Iffy signed up to Susan Scott Lookalikes and since then, has been appearing at various events as Joshua.
‘A few jobs pop up every couple of months,’ he says.
‘I’ve done some commercials and a photoshoot for The Times Magazine Rich List as his body double. The latest job was being a
body double in the Lynx ‘Deliver the Chill’ commercial with Tinie Tempah, which was cool!
‘It’s part-time at the moment, but I’d like to be full-time with a few more regular gigs if possible.
‘I suppose as long as Anthony Joshua is in the limelight there will still be a demand for his lookalike.’ It seems that being the lookalike for a famous boxer also comes with its perks.
‘I get a lot more female attention now!’ Iffy says.
‘I’ve done quite a few things that I never thought I’d be able to do, and been places I’d never thought I’d go on the back of looking like him, so I’m very appreciative.
‘I think it’s funny and also extremely flattering!’