‘The Richard Madeley contest was real – and I lost to a pug in a wig’
A Richard Madeley lookalike contest took place in Stockport at the weekend(Image: Jeremy Edward Mirams/X: @Jezistadore)
People walking their dogs in one of Stockport’s popular parks might have been taken by surprise by an influx of people sporting masks of Richard Madeley this weekend.
Hundreds of people gathered for a unique and ‘bizarre’ lookalike competition of the TV presenter at Alexandra Park, on Cheadle Old Road, on Sunday morning (August 17).
The event came just weeks after a mysterious set of signs were discovered posted on notice boards and lampposts across Edgeley promoting the event. Simply titled ‘Richard Madeley lookalike contest’, the posters just featured the date and location of the event – providing little information for locals.
The appearance of the posters led to rumours and speculation online regarding the legitimacy of the event, with many wondering if it was real and why it was even being arranged in the first place. It even received a mention on BBC Radio Manchester with residents saying they were ‘so excited’ about the contest, despite being unsure if it was actually real.
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The unusual event took place on Sunday and saw people and dogs take part(Image: Jeremy Edward Mirams/X: @Jezistadore)
But the event did go ahead as planned on Sunday – drawing in a big crowd of families and locals. Alison Stafford-Bentley was one of the local residents who attended the event after being curious about what exactly it would entail.
“I think everyone was amazed at just how many people turned up,” Alison told the Manchester Evening News. “It was great to see so many made the effort to take part.”
Amongst attendees were people wearing masks of Richard Madeley, as well as of his wife Judy Finnigan. The pair famously hosted Richard & Judy between 2001 and 2009, with Richard later becoming a regular co-host of Good Morning Britain on ITV.
The event was said to have been attended by close to 200 people, with many asking for it to return next year(Image: Alison Stafford-Bentley)
Other people also took the opportunity to wear themed outfits for the event, including one attendee who was seen wearing an ‘I Love Judy’ t-shirt.
The competition was ultimately won by Larry the pug, who was celebrated with an inflatable bottle of champagne. “Of course, Larry was the outright winner from the start,” Alison added.
“All credit to the lady who organised it, and Joe McGrath from BBC Radio Manchester for letting people know about it. There will be another one to look forward to next year!”
The winner of the contest was a pug in a wig(Image: Alison Stafford-Bentley)
The runner-up received a DVD copy of the Ali G Indahouse movie, with further runner-up’s getting a selection of books approved by the Richard and Judy Book Club.
Praising the event, another local posted on social media: “Went to a Richard Madeley lookalike competition and of course a dog won. Stockport is a very unserious place and you will never make me leave.”
Local blog Stop In Stockport said there had been hundreds of people in attendance at the event. Posting on X, the blog wrote: “Over 200 people turned up to the Richard Madeley lookalike contest. How can you not love Stockport!”
The runner-up received a DVD copy of the Ali G Indahouse movie(Image: Alison Stafford-Bentley)
One person, who took part in the competition, posted on Reddit: “‘The Richard Madeley contest was real – and I lost to a pug in a wig.” Another attendee wrote: “The Richard Madeley LookaLike contest went ahead, and actually loads turned out throughout the hours it was on, Strange ****ing folk people of Edgeley.
People online have also been sharing their love for the bizarre event, with many hoping it will return again so they can attend in the future. One person wrote: “Amazing, I’d love to see this become an annual event!” Another said: “That’s ace.” One other added: “Excellent.”
The event was said to have been attended by close to 200 people, with many asking for it to return next year(Image: Alison Stafford-Bentley)
Another commented on Reddit to say: “To all the people saying this should be an annual event, it’s happening next summer as well. I believe the names thrown about were Deirdre Barlow or Luke Littler.”
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