If someone had told me earlier this year that I would have a Guinness World Record to my name, I would have thought they were joking. Yet here I am, holding the notorious title after a trip to the United States. You are probably wondering what I did to secure such an achievement. It was not some ludicrous challenge; all I needed was a blond wig, red lipstick, and a white dress.
I was in the beautiful desert resort city of Greater Palm Springs, known for its Hollywood glamour, mid-century modern architecture, and natural hot springs. This Southern California oasis, nestled in the Coachella Valley, was once home to Golden Age Hollywood stars like Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. But I was there for Marilyn Monroe.
The iconic American actress and model became a global sensation during the 1950s and early 1960s, often known for her persona as the 'blonde bombshell'. She tragically died at the tender age of 36 in 1962 but spent much of her adult life in Palm Springs. She is known to have spent time in a trendy bungalow called the Marilyn Monroe Doll House, which I passed by during my trip, still with its signature pink letterbox on the front yard.
This year, on 1 June, marked what would have been Marilyn Monroe's 100th birthday. To celebrate, Greater Palm Springs hosted a mega event to secure a new Guinness World Record. I was lucky enough to be there and take part.
The idea was to gather as many Marilyn Monroe lookalikes as possible in one place. The previous record was 254 in 2020, so there were high hopes that Palm Springs, the home of Hollywood, would surpass it. I had no idea what to expect, but after signing up and securing my iconic Marilyn Monroe outfit—a styled blond wig, white dress, and red lipstick—I was ready. On Saturday, 30 May, the day before her birthday, I dressed up as the glamorous star and joined my fellow doppelgangers around the Forever Marilyn statue in Downtown Palm Springs.
Remarkably, there were 1,037 Marilyn Monroe lookalikes in attendance. It was incredible to be around so many people celebrating the icon. Everyone went all out with their outfits, accessorising with pearls, diamonds, sparkly heels, fans, and feather boas. To secure the record, all attendees had to wear the same iconic white halter dress, platinum wig, and red lipstick, and everyone absolutely did. After gathering in our hundreds, singing 'Happy Birthday' to Marilyn Monroe, and being thoroughly counted, we successfully obtained a new Guinness World Record.
Palm Springs Mayor Ron deHarte told me, 'People are on a high that they get to participate in this. It is not unusual to have something flashy going on in Palm Springs, but this is something different.' The Pride organisation was connected to the event, as Ron noted, 'Marilyn Monroe had a voice, and she used it.' I could feel the celebrations, love, kindness, acceptance, and overall pride of this city as I put on my best Marilyn Monroe impersonation and joined the joyful, spirited community.
It was an honour to take part in such an event, one I will not forget in a hurry. After all, there are only 1,037 of us across the globe who can say we broke a record by dressing up as Marilyn Monroe in the desert.
