A bizarre case of mistaken identity unfolded outside Southwark Crown Court after a Russell Brand lookalike managed to fool both members of the assembled press pack and an unsuspecting member of the public.

The unusual scenes took place on October 14, 2026, during the opening days of Russell Brand's criminal trial, where he has been accused of several counts of sexual assault, when a black Mercedes-Benz van pulled up outside the court.

But it wasn't the arrival of Brand himself that initially caught everyone's attention.

Instead, a man sporting long grey hair, a beard and sunglasses stepped out of the vehicle, bearing a striking resemblance to the comedian. Next to him was a man who walked beside him, who many commenters joked looked like Hugh Grant.

The waiting photographers and members of the media immediately sprang into action, gathering around the man and seemingly believing they had caught their man arriving at court.

However, the apparent celebrity arrival turned out to be something of a false alarm.

Seconds later, the real Russell Brand emerged from the same vehicle alongside his wife, leaving the press pack to realise they had been momentarily distracted by his lookalike.

And while the media may have been caught off guard, one member of the public appeared particularly convinced that the first man out of the van was Brand. He was heard telling the decoy, "you should be ashamed of yourself."

Footage circulating on social media captured the individual aggressively heckling the lookalike, apparently believing he was directing his comments at the comedian.

Unfortunately for the heckler, he had picked the wrong target and was told by members of the paparazzi he had told off the wrong man.

Once it became clear that the man was not Russell Brand, the member of the public was left having to awkwardly apologise for the mix-up.

The clip has since sparked plenty of amusement online, with viewers enjoying the unexpected twist and the lookalike's brief moment in the spotlight.

TSB RESIDENT COMMENTS

As ever, the TSB residents were quick to deliver their verdict, and the comments did not disappoint.

One resident joked:

"The other guy was a decoy for Hugh Grant in 1996, then time travelled 30 years to back up the Russell Brand-alike."

Another was less impressed with the heckler's detective skills, commenting:

"Bro is moving on script but doesn't even know what the target looks like."

And perhaps the most brutal assessment came from a resident who simply suggested:

"If Specsavers ever needed an ad..."

A classic case of being in the right place, with the wrong person in your sights.

Whether the lookalike was deliberately brought along to cause confusion or simply happened to be travelling in the same vehicle, he certainly managed to create one of the more unusual moments outside the courthouse.