Fury as British Embassy in Stockholm hires doppelgängers for £7,000

2023-01-08

UK civil servants spent taxpayers’ cash on lookalikes: Fury as British Embassy in Stockholm hires David Bowie and Baby Spice doppelgängers for £7,000 Platinum Jubilee bash… but staff insist blond ‘Hannibal Lector’ is NOT Boris

Civil servants splashed out £7,000 hiring celebrity lookalikes for a Jubilee Party
The lavish party was held at the British Embassy in Stockholm Sweden in June
Lookalikes included Boris Johnson wearing a straightjacket, caged and chained
Other doppelgangers included British music stars like Baby Spice and Bowie

Civil servants have sparked fury after £7,000 was spent during the cost-of-living crisis on hiring celebrity doppelgänger from from David Bowie to Baby Spice to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The lavish party, which was held at the British Embassy in Sweden, saw performers from Entourage Productions, saunter around the building to mark the late Queen’s birthday.

Other actors from the production company even dress up as a Boris Johnson doppelgänger, who appears caged and chained in a straightjacket like Hannibal Lector.

The Foreign Office, however, insisted none of the actors dressed like the former Prime Minister during the celebrations.

Entourage Productions, who attended the party, have one doppelgänger who looks like Boris Johnson, pictured caged and chained in a straightjacket like Hannibal Lector. But the Foreign Office said none of the actors dressed up as the former Prime Minister

Civil servants splashed out £7,000 hiring celebrity lookalikes, from David Bowie to Baby Spice, to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee at the British Embassy in Sweden

Around 60 people are believed to have ascended on Ambassador Judith Gough’s Stockholm residence in June, the Mirror reports.

The cost of the hiring the performers has led to a backlash from the opposition as the country continues to struggle with the cost-of-living crisis, resulting in high energy bills and food prices.

A Labour source told the Mirror: ‘The Tories must not realise we’re in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis or they must not care.

‘Either way, they need to take their £7,000 dance troupes and exit stage right.

‘Fetish gear, pig heads, and Boris in a cage: this would all be a good laugh if it wasn’t such a grotesque waste of taxpayers money.’

While no one dressed up as Paddington Bear, there were toys scattered around the home to pay tribute to the Queen

British Ambassador Judith Gough attended the party wearing a Union Jack dress and holding a Paddington Bear toy. While no one dressed up as Paddington Bear, there were toys scattered around the home to pay tribute to the Queen

British pop hits and bagpipe music was blasted at the party, as guests snacked on Jubilee cakes and British sausages from a barbecue.

While no one dressed up as Paddington Bear, there were toys scattered around the home to pay tribute to the Queen.

Those who attended the party had ‘in some way helped us strengthen ties between the United Kingdom and Sweden’ it was reported.

The Foreign Office said such events are an ‘important opportunity’ to promote ‘UK influence on the world stage and UK influence on the world stage and bilateral links between countries’.

At the end of December Labour MP Emily Thornberry asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, ‘with reference to his Department’s publication of government procurement card spending over £500 for June 2022, what was the (a) nature and (b) purpose of the services for which Entourage was paid £6,941.43 on 17 June 2022’.

A photo from the Jubilee Party held at the British Embassy in Stockholm.

British pop hits and bagpipe music was blasted at the party, as guests snacked on Jubilee cakes and British sausages from a barbecue

Foreign Office minister David Rutley said some of the funds from the party came from private sponsors.

He added: ‘Staff considered a number of bids; Entourage Productions was felt to represent the best value for money in terms of lowest cost and the range of services provided.

‘The Queen’s Birthday Party was funded by a combination of GREAT UK funding and private sponsorship.’

A spokesman for the Foreign Office told MailOnline: ‘British Embassy Stockholm hired entertainers to come dressed to the Jubilee celebration as well-known UK personalities, including David Bowie and Baby Spice.

‘Events such as the Queen’s Jubilee celebration are an important opportunity to promote UK influence on the world stage and bilateral links between countries.’