Made in Chelsea star and podcast host Jamie Laing has confessed to a spectacularly awkward social blunder that will have every Brit cringing in sympathy. The television personality found himself in a mortifying situation after mistakenly approaching a complete stranger, believing her to be the Princess of Wales herself.
The incident occurred as Laing was enjoying a casual outing, only to spot someone he was convinced was Kate Middleton. Without a second thought, he approached the woman and began what he believed was a charming conversation with royalty.
"I went up to her and said, 'Oh my God, hello! How are you?'" Laing recounted on his podcast, the sheer horror of the memory still fresh. "She looked at me like I had three heads."
The reality quickly dawned on him that this was not, in fact, the future Queen consort but an ordinary woman who was now thoroughly confused by the celebrity's unexpected attention. The moment of realisation struck with what Laing describes as "utter dread and humiliation."
What makes the situation particularly ironic is Laing's own status as a public figure who regularly deals with being recognised. "As someone who's in the public eye, you'd think I'd know better than to assume someone's identity," he admitted, acknowledging the hypocrisy of his actions.
The cringe-worthy encounter serves as a cautionary tale about the perils of celebrity spotting in London, where many a hopeful has mistakenly identified lookalikes as famous figures. For Laing, the memory remains painfully vivid, a testament to those social moments we all wish we could rewind and erase.
While the Princess of Wales remains unaware of the mix-up, Laing's story has provided both entertainment and second-hand embarrassment for his listeners, proving that even reality stars aren't immune to making spectacular social faux pas.
