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Asda Worker Gets Mobbed Wherever He Goes For Looking Like Ed Sheeran

Asda Worker Gets Mobbed Wherever He Goes For Looking Like Ed Sheeran

Wesley Byrne looks so much like the Grammy award-winning singer that some fans refuse to believe he isn't the real deal

Paddy Maddison

Paddy Maddison

A supermarket worker has spoken out about his inability to go anywhere without being mobbed by crazed fans, due to his uncanny resemblance to a certain ginger pop star.

Credit: Mercury Press

Twenty-five-year-old Wesley Byrne has so far ignored his God-given duty to be the world's greatest Ed Sheeran look-a-like in favour of stacking shelves at his local branch of Asda in Manchester.

Mercury Press & Media

However, Wesley's failure to pursue what would almost certainly be a very lucrative career touring the country's night spots and posing for photos hasn't stopped him from being besieged by adoring fans - some of whom refuse to believe he isn't the real deal.

The red-haired supermarket worker claims he is often set upon by star-struck admirers in the street, much to the frustration of 28-year-old girlfriend Leah Howard-Smith.

He says he was once even forced to show a pissed-up reveller his passport in order to prove he wasn't the 'Shape Of You' singer - although at the time, he didn't even know who Ed Sheeran was.

"A random guy on a night a few years back didn't believe I wasn't him," he said.

"He spent a good 15 minutes convinced I was him and wasn't having any of it when I said I wasn't.

Mercury Press & Media

"He even wanted me to start singing. I said to him 'I don't know who you think I am but I can't do that'. My mates just stood there laughing.

"I Googled him when I got home and it freaked me out a little bit when I saw how similar we looked."

Since then Wesley hasn't been able to go anywhere in peace.

"I've developed a bit of a sense of when it's going to happen - it happens all the time when I'm out and about," he said.

"Being stopped in the street and asked for pictures and autographs has started to happen more and more since he's got bigger, especially if I'm out in Manchester.

"Most people just shout and I wave back at them.

"People ask for pictures with me whenever we go anywhere. A couple of times my girlfriend has glared at the women who shout and want pictures with me, she doesn't handle it very well."

Wesley revealed he can't even keep a low profile while at work, despite being dressed in an Asda uniform.

"When I go out, even to Asda in normal clothes, people stop me even more. I get a lot of teens shouting across the street 'oi Sheeran, sing us a song'," he said.

"I don't want to disappoint people and ruin their day so I just go along with it. I haven't signed any autographs - people do ask for it but I make an excuse and leave.

"Comic Con in Manchester last year was crazy. I normally spend a lot of money on a costume but that year I just wore regular clothes and I was mobbed by people thinking I was him. I kept tally - I was stopped by 52 people. It was just fun."

Mercury Press & Media

Unfortunately, Wesley's looks are where the similarity to Sheeran end and although he's learning to play the guitar, the shop worker is the first to admit he isn't much of a singer.

"My singing voice is terrible but I'm teaching myself how to play the guitar. I've not made much progress but I've managed to pretty much learn 'Shape Of You'," he explained.

"I'm going watching him in May at the Etihad Stadium. It would be great to meet him - I just think his story is amazing. He came up from nothing because of his raw talent and didn't have to rely on gimmicks. He's inspirational."

Thankfully, Wesley hasn't ruled out the possibility of being an Ed Sheeran impersonator entirely.

"If I could make a career out of being an Ed Sheeran look-a-like I definitely would," he added.

"I'm just trying to keep my hair. There's a history of men in our family going bald so I just need to cling onto my ginger locks."

Featured Image Credit: Mercury Press & Media

Topics: Celebrity, Music, Manchester, UK, Ed Sheeran