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Georgie Barker
Tonight's meal Tilapia Surprise with boiled cabbage. Begin cooking steps 1 through 50 now.
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Billy Hindle
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Georgie Barker
Hi there, faithful skeptics, and welcome to another episode of sheeplechase, the podcast that gives a long, hard look at the dangerous, the dubious and the downright dodgy. I'm true believer Georgie Barker.
Celia Ripley
And I'm Celia Ripley. And I don't believe a word of it.
Georgie Barker
So, Celia, what weird and wonderful conspiracy have you brought us today?
Celia Ripley
Have you ever looked at your favourite celeb and suddenly felt like you don't recognize them anymore? Like their fame has changed them? Well, today we're investigating claims of 3Sing dying at their peak and being replaced by doubles.
Georgie Barker
Ooh, are we doing Paul is Dead?
Celia Ripley
We're doing Paul is Dead, Avril Este Morta and Mia's missing.
Georgie Barker
Sounds like we're in for a treat.
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Celia Ripley
So in the late 60s, a rumor started circulating that Paul McCartney had died in a car crash and was replaced by a lookalike named Billy Shears at the request of MI5. Because, get this, they were afraid that if fans found out Paul McCartney had died, the grief would lead to mass hysteria.
Georgie Barker
They really thought this was a matter of national security.
Celia Ripley
Don't forget Beatlemania was a global phenomenon. By this point, luckily for MI5, though, the American label Capitol Records had already held a Beatles lookalike competition. And it said that the winner, William Campbell Shears, became the replacement fake Paul, or Fall, as he's known online.
Georgie Barker
Wait, so the American record label held a competition in the US and just happened to get a Scouse singer songwriter as the winner?
Celia Ripley
No, but the other Beatles allegedly taught him how to speak with a Liverpudlian accent, play bass left handed and sing O.
Georgie Barker
Do you think that's why there was such tension between him and Lennon? Because the fake Paul reminded him of his dead friend?
Celia Ripley
I mean, I think it's all a load of bollocks, personally.
Georgie Barker
You've got me curious though. What's the evidence?
Celia Ripley
Evidence is a strong word. No one knows where the rumor of his death came from, but it happened twice, in 1966 and 1967. Eventually, the Beatles press manager put out statements saying he was alive.
Georgie Barker
Oh, well, if a manager says it, then it must be true.
Interjecting Listener
Fair.
Celia Ripley
But he was also obviously fine walking around and singing and, well, alive. So that was that until September 1969, when a student newspaper at Drake University in Iowa published an article saying he was dead and the other Beatles were leaving clues about it in their records.
Georgie Barker
Oh, right. That explains the famous lyric, we all live in a yellow submarine, except for Paul, who's dead. He died in a car crash in 1966.
Celia Ripley
Unfortunately, it seems the actual clues were so cryptic they were almost undetectable. Sergeant Pepper was the first album released after the rumors and people claimed the sleeve art included suspicious symbols like a flower wreath on the ground shaped vaguely like a left handed bass guitar.
Georgie Barker
I can kind of see it if you squint and turn it upside down.
Celia Ripley
Anyway, people were saying everything was a coded reference to Paul's death. He's turned away from the camera on the back cover. In another photo, he's wearing a black patch on his sleeve that says OPD for Other.
Georgie Barker
Paul died.
Celia Ripley
Sure, why not? On the Abbey Road cover he's barefoot, so obviously that's a sign.
Georgie Barker
Obviously.
Celia Ripley
And on page 13 of the Magical Mystery Tour, he's got his shoes off again.
Sponsor Announcer
It's almost like people are obsessed with this famous guy's feet.
Celia Ripley
And in another photo, everyone else is wearing red corsages, but he has a black one.
Georgie Barker
Okay, that one is actually a bit weird.
Celia Ripley
Then there's the alleged hidden back masked messages in the songs themselves.
Georgie Barker
Backmasking being when you play a record backward and it's supposed to say something else.
Celia Ripley
Exactly. Some people claim there's a bit in I'm so Tired, where if you play it backwards, it sounds like Paul is dead man. Miss him. Miss him. And there's another from Revolution Number nine, which apparently says, turn me on, dead man.
Georgie Barker
Weirdly sexual, but okay.
Interjecting Listener
What?
Celia Ripley
You're not hot for dead barefoot Paul McCartney?
Georgie Barker
No, and you'll be really proud of me because I'm actually very skeptical of backmasking.
Celia Ripley
How come?
Georgie Barker
Well, playing records backwards absolutely ruins them, Right? So say thousands of Iowan students are all playing their records backwards to listen to secret messages in their Beatles songs. Guess who has to now go and replace their Beatles albums? It's all a con by the labels to sell more records.
Celia Ripley
So you don't believe this conspiracy, but only because you believe there's a different, more profitable conspiracy behind it.
Georgie Barker
You've got to admit it makes sense.
Celia Ripley
But then how do you explain Avril Lavigne?
Georgie Barker
Don't you mean Melissa?
Celia Ripley
Maybe there is a theory floating around that Canadian singer songwriter Avril lavigne died in 2003 and was replaced by a lookalike named Melissa Vandella. At least if you believe the original source of a single portuguese blogspot from 2011.
Georgie Barker
Avril Esta Morta.
Celia Ripley
That's the one. The claim got picked up by Brazilian media, then spread among English speakers after a gossip journalist posted a viral thread about it in 2017. The blog suggests that just before the release of her second album, Avril's grandfather died and her depression became so severe that she killed herself. Then, rather than make the death public and shelve the album, the record label convinced a decoy Avril they'd hired to completely take over her career.
Georgie Barker
So let go in 2002, that was Avril. And then under my skin in 2004, and everything afterwards, that was Melissa. Not bad for a lookalike.
Celia Ripley
The blog does claim you can hear the difference, but the whole thing rests on two clips of her singing live. One from 2002 and one from a few years after.
Georgie Barker
And do they sound different?
Celia Ripley
I mean, maybe, but it's just one clip. Maybe she had laryngitis that day. Or her voice restrained from touring for too long.
Georgie Barker
Or maybe she spent all day yelling at a moose.
Celia Ripley
What?
Georgie Barker
She's Canadian. Moose live in Canada. They're pretty scary.
Celia Ripley
Okay, then, yeah. I think it's more likely her voice was tired from yelling at a moose than that she secretly died and was replaced by a clone.
Georgie Barker
Any other evidence?
Celia Ripley
I mean, there's a lot of song lyric stuff and talking about how her style has changed over time.
Interjecting Listener
Mmm.
Georgie Barker
But wasn't she 18 when she got big, though? You'd kind of expect her style to change.
Celia Ripley
She was 17.
Georgie Barker
Exactly. I mean, God, when I was 17, I said I'd never move to London, get a tattoo or start a podcast so you can't really hold it.
Celia Ripley
I didn't know you had a tattoo.
Interjecting Listener
Mmm.
Georgie Barker
But what about this stuff about her face changing? That seems more convincing.
Celia Ripley
You mean that plastic surgeon who claims her nose has changed shape? Because as every plastic surgeon knows, being replaced by a double is the only way that can happen.
Georgie Barker
Well, alright, but what about her height? That used to be listed as five two and now it's changed to five' one, as though she's had height altering.
Celia Ripley
Surgery or was measured wearing two different pairs of shoes.
Georgie Barker
Okay, fine, but people have been finding new evidence and adding to this theory for years. Where does stuff like that come from if this whole thing is just one big shitpost?
Celia Ripley
Well, people started calling the fake Avril Melissa after a photo shoot where Avril Lavigne's holding her fist up and the word Melissa is written on it in felt tip. The idea was like, oh, they've labelled her so they don't lose track of who's who. But the photo's clearly from around 2010, when the original Avril's supposed to have already been dead for seven years.
Georgie Barker
Maybe she was just proud of her name and telling everyone, hey, it's me, Melissa.
Celia Ripley
That's one interpretation, but it doesn't explain the surname Vandella, which seems to have just come from nowhere.
Georgie Barker
Mm, sounds like a cover up to me.
Celia Ripley
Oh, Georgie, why'd you have to go and make things so complicated? Sponsor Time.
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Celia Ripley
It was incredible. I felt like I was actually in Pong.
Georgie Barker
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Don't forget to grab the paddle ups. There's a fresh wave of Zomballs on.
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Georgie Barker
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Celia Ripley
So, do you want to introduce me as Missing, since I know how much you've wanted to talk about it?
Georgie Barker
Oh, yes, right. It's 2018 and the riot Girl revival is in full swing. Baggy jeans, bikinis and baselines everywhere. And nobody's jeans were baggier nor their lines basier than the Manic Pixie Scream Girls. Their cover of Dolly Parton's 9 to 5 goes viral and they sign with Revolution Records.
Celia Ripley
Their debut, Nowhere and Everywhere went to number three in the UK and I think number six in the us.
Georgie Barker
Oh, yeah, they were huge for an alternative act. But then as they start promoting their second album, things get weird.
Celia Ripley
It wasn't that weird.
Georgie Barker
Oh, it was weird. Everywhere they went, people would just not recognize Mia Hill. There's videos of people who definitely met her before clearly having to be told who she is at awards ceremonies and stuff.
Celia Ripley
She dyed her hair and a couple of people didn't recognize her at first. That's not sinister.
Georgie Barker
What about all those websites where they captioned band photos but left her name off?
Celia Ripley
Yeah, I looked into it and it seems there's only actually two times it happened and one of them was the Daily Mail.
Georgie Barker
So really it felt like there were loads.
Celia Ripley
People talk about it like there were loads, but it's always just those two misprints. Either way, it's still enough for people to start sharing the theory that the original Mia Hill had died and been replaced by a lookalike.
Georgie Barker
There was so much song lyric analysis. I remember being very convinced by Six Feet down. So bury me deep if it helps you sleep. You've tried to replace me but you can still taste me. And then there's the fact that you can't really hear me or on any of the tracks.
Celia Ripley
Yeah, but nothing that can't be explained by bad production.
Georgie Barker
It is a bit too coincidental, though, the not being recognised, being left out of articles, the barely audible sound. It's all happening at the same time and it's only happening to Mia.
Celia Ripley
Well, the first reference to her rumoured death is this interview in the Liverpool Echo with a cleaner at one of the hotels. The Manic Pixie Scream girl stayed in for a tour and it was basically just gossip about the state of one of the rooms when they left. Apparently it looked like the site of a cage match and the bathroom smelled like someone had died in it. Which seems to be enough to set all of this off.
Georgie Barker
You know, Mia's missing was trending on TikTok for a while.
Celia Ripley
Yeah, Most of the comments were saying things like, this is really far fetched or this person's an obvious troll, but there was a petition for a government inquiry into why the police weren't investigating Mia Hill's murder.
Georgie Barker
Yeah, I never signed that petition.
Celia Ripley
It was ridiculous.
Georgie Barker
Yeah, because either they're not investigating because they don't think she's been murdered. Which, like, fair enough, or they're not investigating because whoever did it is influencing the police and so is definitely powerful enough to shut down an inquiry. Either way, it's pointless.
Celia Ripley
Right? I mean, I suppose those are both options. Although I think one's a lot more likely than the other.
Georgie Barker
So who do you think did it?
Celia Ripley
Well, nobody. I don't think she was murdered.
Georgie Barker
Sure, but if she was murdered, who's your suspect?
Interjecting Listener
Hmm.
Celia Ripley
So, for any listeners who don't know, people can't decide if it was an obsessed fan who broke into her room, the band's manager, Carly Jones, or one of her bandmates. If I had to pick, I guess the bandmate theory is the least ridiculous.
Georgie Barker
Nope. It was the manager. She had access to the room, knew Mia's schedule, and Callie was always hovering around fake Mia when the rumors started. She probably found the lookalike, trained her up and was keeping an eye on her.
Celia Ripley
But there are a lot of people that would need to be in on it. The rest of the band, the manager, the producers, friends and family, everyone involved in training the replacement. It would be a whole production.
Georgie Barker
Right, but this is the entertainment industry. Putting on productions is literally their job.
Celia Ripley
I guess that's true. Well, either way, that's us done on the Doppelganger Suite. So what do you think? Are you convinced by any of these theories?
Interjecting Listener
Mmm.
Georgie Barker
Definitely not the Avril Lavigne one. I don't think Paul McCartney is dead, but I think the record companies have stoked it because so many of the clues can only be found if you buy more records. As for Mia's missing, I was convinced by it at the time. She really did seem different. But it sounds like I've built it up in my memory to more than it was, so. Maybe not. I think the real conspiracy is the music industry in general. How about you? Do you believe there's a crisis of imposter celebrities?
Celia Ripley
Unsurprisingly, I don't, no.
Georgie Barker
Then I guess that closes the case of the celeb swappers. Conclusion? Sing is fine, music industry sketchy sounds about right. Well, thank you for bringing those three weird and wonderful conspiracies, Celia. They really struck a chord. So, any big plans for the weekend?
Celia Ripley
Nothing much.
Interjecting Listener
You?
Georgie Barker
I'm taking Captain Barker for another haircut. They give her a little bandana at the end and everything. And dog cologne.
Celia Ripley
I'm sure she'll look very dashing.
Interjecting Listener
I.
Celia Ripley
But I think you need to get out more.
Georgie Barker
You can talk Anyway, join us next week for another episode and in the meantime you can rate and review us on all your favorite podcast apps. And remember, if you're a band manager, it never hurts to keep a few lookalike agencies on speed dial.
Sponsor Announcer
Sheeplechase and the Magnus Protocol are podcasts distributed by RustyQuill and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Sharealike 4.0 International License License. Sheeplechase was created by Sasha Sienna, directed by April Sumner, and based on the works of Jonathan Sims and Alexander J. Newell. This episode was written by Sasha Sienna and edited with additional materials by Jonathan Sims and Alexander J. Newell, with audio edits by Nico Vertesi, mastering by Meg McKellar, and music by Nico Verteze. It featured Sasha Sienna as Georgie Barker and Lorianne Davies as Celia Ripley. To subscribe, explore exclusive extras and enjoy early access ad free episodes, visit members.rustedquill.com or join our Patreon rate and review us online. Follow us on social media or email us@mailrustyquill.com thanks for listening.
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Hi everyone, it's Billy Hindle. Today we are advertising Push the Roll with Ross Bryant, a podcast that launched on the RQ Network. Push the Roll with Ross Bryant is a weekly improvised comedy horror actual play podcast from the award winning team behind Ain't Slayed Nobody and hosted and GM'd by the talented Ross Bryant. Each episode of Push the Roll features an improvised Call of Cthulhu adventure combining cosmic horror, tabletop RPG and dark comedy with sound design that amplifies the cosmic dread. Guided by their Patreon suggestions and tumbling dice joined an amazing rotating ensemble including Ashley Burch, Brennan Lee Mulligan, Becca Scott, Lou Wilson, Vic Michaelis, Matthew Lillard and Abubakar Saleem. Every episode is fascinating and unnerving. Anything can happen anywhere, anytime. Search for Push the Roll with Ross Bryant wherever you listen to podcasts or go to pushtherolle.com or rustyquill do. Have fun and see you later.
This episode of Sheeple Chase ("Dead Singer") dives into classic and modern celebrity impostor conspiracies—focusing on the "Paul is Dead" Beatles theory, the Avril Lavigne/Melissa Vandella rumor, and the rise-and-fall speculation around fictional riot grrrl singer Mia Hill. Hosts Georgie Barker and Celia Ripley dissect the evidence, origins, and cultural fascination with the idea of stars being replaced by doubles after mysterious deaths. With an investigative yet bantering tone, they challenge the credibility and motivations behind these rumors, particularly honing in on the music industry’s penchant for spectacle and profit.
[04:00]
[05:30]
Notable Evidence Discussed
[09:58]
[14:17]
Quotes:
With their classic skeptic/believer dynamic, Georgie and Celia deftly pick apart beloved celebrity conspiracies, pointing out the psychological and cultural mechanisms that drive such stories. Celia’s relentless need for evidence curbs Georgie’s flights of fancy, but both agree the real conspiracy might be the profit-motivated tricks of the entertainment business itself.
Despite the wild claims and persistent rumors, the episode concludes that while celebrity doubles are a fascinating cultural myth, there’s far more to question in the manipulations of the media and record labels than there is in the supposed deaths and replacements of music’s brightest stars.
If you missed the episode, this summary should have you ready to identify "clues" and roll your eyes the next time Twitter decides a pop star is a pod person.