The popular former British-Pakistani singer from One Direction, Zayn Malik, is known for his exotic look. Fans have adored his long eyelashes, dark hair, charming smile, and melodious voice, making him a complete package and a one-of-a-kind artist. His distinctive features, shaped by his Pakistani descent, make it difficult for others in the West to replicate or naturally share the same appearance.
Over the weekend, a lookalike contest sparked excitement among fans of the former One Direction singer, with many participants entering the competition. The celebrity lookalike event, held at Maria Hernandez Park in New York from 3:00 to 3:30pm, was first announced through a post on Partiful. As fans eagerly anticipated the results, a video posted by @PopCrave on Twitter shows the top three winners of the contest.

Shiv Patel, who was deemed the number one winner due to his striking resemblance to the singer, easily earned the top spot. The prize for the competition was also shared on Instagram, where the winner would receive a free tattoo from a local artist. Jaz Arnold, the contest’s co-organiser, drew inspiration from similar events, such as the Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest.
Despite the festive atmosphere, many commenters disagreed with the results of the competition. Some pointed out that none of the winners looked like Zayn, questioning whether the judges had made the right decision. One commenter noted that the middle contestant was a woman, which left fans baffled. While some expressed disappointment, others congratulated and supported the winners.

Before the Zayn Malik lookalike contest, there were similar competitions held for other celebrities, including Timothée Chalamet, Harry Styles, and Dev Patel in San Francisco. A lookalike contest for Zendaya was scheduled for 20th November 2024 at the Oakland School for the Arts, where the winner would receive a $40 (RM178.76) cash prize along with Carol’s Daughter Shampoo and Conditioner.
While many were dissatisfied with the results of the Zayn Malik lookalike contest, we can only hope that future competitions will bring more accurate representations of the celebrities. In the meantime, check out the viral videos of the Zayn Malik lookalike contest winners:
@popbase (🎥: strawberrynisaa on X) #foryou #fyp #popculture #zaynmalik #lookalike #celebrity #hollywood #foryoupage #zayn
@stupid.spicy
Sources: Twitter (1)(2), Partiful, Instagram, TikTok (1)(2)
Sakinah contributed to this article.