A contestant in an Afghan talent show may have been given the winning edge after discovering he bears a striking resemblance to the Prime Minister of Canada.
Abdul Salam Maftoon worked as a wedding singer before entering popular reality TV competition Afghan Star. The 29-year-old is from a remote village in the impoverished province of Badakhshan and had never heard the name Justin Trudeau until a competition judge pointed out their similar looks.
A video of the comparison being discussed on the show went viral online, with many calling Mr Maftoon the "lost twin" of the Canadian politician.
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Perhaps thanks to the boost to his profile, Mr Maftoon made it through to the next elimination round along with seven other contestants.
He told news agency AFP he hopes his newfound fame will help him win Afghan Star and support his wife and four children.
"People have forgotten my name and now they just call me 'Justin Trudeau'. The resemblance has boosted my chances of winning the competition by 50 percent."
He says he hopes to meet his lookalike one day, despite being "a poor man from a remote part of Afghanistan".
Mr Trudeau is widely considered one of the more attractive world leaders, frequently topping 'hot heads of state' lists alongside the likes of French President Emmanuel Macron and New Zealand's own Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
Newshub.
