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It was the most entertaining trend of last year, and now the celebrity lookalike contests have returned in 2026!
Instead of Harry Styles and Timothée Chalamet, this time Heated Rivalry fans are desperate to find dopplegangers for ice hockey stars Shane Hollander and Ilya Rosanov, played by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie respectively in the popular Canadian series.
At the weekend, lookalike competitions took place on both sides of the world, one in New York City and another in Sydney, where audiences judged who resembled the characters and actors the most.
New York's contest
@etalkctv 🚨 WINNERS AT THE END! 🚨 We headed to NYC to witness the Shane and Ilya look-alike contest and the crowd did not dissappoint. 👏 We spoke to organizers Katherine Gehring and Charlotte Steinblatt about the impact of the show and how the fans reacted to their latest contest. Safe to say the fans showed up and we think we’re all heading to the cottage. 😍 #HeatedRivalry #lookalikecontest #ShaneHollander #IlyaRozanov #NYC
A huge crowd turned up to the event to see the line-up of Ilya and Shane lookalikes, with those in attendance reporting that the contest had to be moved due to the number of people that showed up to watch.
Some competitors even channelled the characters by sporting hockey jerseys, stripping down, and even making out as they took to the stage at Mercer Playground in Greenwich Village.
The prize for the two winners was $50, and ultimately it was 25-year-old Ryan Heffernan who took the crown for closest Shane Hollander lookalike. As for Ilya Rosanov, it was decidedthat 28-year-old Tyler Gaul resembled him the most, winning the contest.
Although the two may not be that surprised by their win, since they told The New York Post their uncanny resemblance has led to them being stopped and asked to take photos with strangers.
“Random people were taking pictures of me,” Heffernan said.
“I was very confident,” he added. “I came here alone because I knew I was going to win.”
Meanwhile, Gaul noted how his girlfriend first clocked how similar he looked to Storrie's Rosanov.
“She told me I looked exactly like Ilya, and then most people in my life and her life started to say the same exact thing,” he said.
Sydney's contest
Things were also hotting up Down Under as a similar Heated Rivalry lookalike contest took place in Sydney at the weekend - with TikToker Lena Tuck being behind the idea.
Initially, the event was supposed to take place at Camperdown Park in Newtown, but the council threatened to shut it down due to the number of people who turned up.
Alas, the contest still went ahead after it was moved at the last minute to the Imperial Hotel in Erskineville, with a packed audience keen to see who would come out on top in the lookalike department, with Drag Queen Jackie Daniels hosting the proceedings (and sporting a hockey outfit, of course).
Competitors were put through their paces as they got judged on their best loon call, best ‘I’m coming to the cottage’ line delivery, best Glambot flip off (à laHudson Williams), as well as best butt and best dance to Madonna (à la Connor Storrie).
So who won? Sean won the Ilya Rosanov lookalike contest, and Eduardo was the winner of the Shane Hollander lookalike category.
The two winners not only took home the trophy but they also received a cash prize, multiple gift vouchers and copies of Rachel Reid’s entire Game Changers series of novels, which the TV series is adapted from.
Elsewhere from Indy100, How to get your hands on the viral Heated Rivalry Canada fleece, and Heated Rivalry season 2 confirmed - everything we know so far.
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