The Rest Is Entertainment – Questions & Answers: Are Celebrities Being Cloned?

Podcast: The Rest Is Entertainment
Hosts: Richard Osman & Marina Hyde
Date: March 19, 2026
Episode Theme:
This Q&A episode centers on pop culture curiosities, celebrity conspiracy theories (especially regarding celebrity "cloning" and doppelgängers), TV and film production secrets, and behind-the-scenes peeks at entertainment's quirkiest moments. Osman and Hyde blend skeptical humor, sharp industry knowledge, and personal anecdotes to dissect viral rumors, favorite technical tricks, and the real work behind TV magic.

Episode Overview

Richard Osman and Marina Hyde field listener questions, offering witty, expert analysis on:

• The rise and recycling of celebrity cloning conspiracies (with Jim Carrey, Melania Trump, and more as examples)
• Mirror scenes in TV and film: technical challenges and director secrets
• Realities of producing TV: pilot episode placement, and tracking down "Would I Lie To You?" mystery guests
• Broader cultural trends of mistrust in celebrity narratives and media “truths”
• Lighthearted digressions: from karaoke lineups to legendary TV moments

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Oscars, Pentagon, and Military in Movies (02:22–04:59)

• Military Cooperation in Filmmaking:
  Richard reads an email from John Moore (director of Behind Enemy Lines) who details how the Pentagon handles access to hardware for Hollywood productions, confirming that, when committed, the Pentagon gives directors surprising leeway—sometimes even allowing control of aircraft carriers for the right shot.
• Production Reliability:
  Both hosts joke about wishing more production teams met the Pentagon's standards for reliability.

2. Filming Mirror Scenes: Tricks and Favourites (05:13–12:11)

Technical Approaches (05:55–10:26)

• Camera Tricks:
  Marina explains various strategies for filming mirrors without revealing the camera:
  • Cheating Angles: Tilting the mirror out of frame (e.g., Taxi Driver, 07:03)
  • "Fake Mirrors": Removing the mirror and framing the shot to appear as a reflection
    • Famous example: Contact stairway/medicine cabinet sequence (08:03)
  • Body Doubles/Twins: Especially when a real reflection would be impossible—Terminator 2 used Linda Hamilton’s twin sister in a famous scene (09:39)
  • Digital/CGI: Widely used in modern VFX-heavy films, e.g., Doctor Strange
  • Two-way Mirrors: Useful in police procedurals and comedy (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)
    • Richard: “The best ever mirror thing… is the cold open of Brooklyn Nine-Nine when the lineup sings Backstreet Boys—that’s the best ever use of a two-way mirror.” (11:14)
  • Full Mirror Rooms: As done by James Cameron, allowing full camera movement (09:10)

Favourite Mirror Scenes

• Marina’s Picks:
  • Taxi Driver’s iconic De Niro scene (07:28)
  • Contact’s mind-bending bathroom scene (08:03)
  • Terminator 2’s twin switch (09:39)
• Richard’s Pet Peeve:
  • Predictable “murderer in the mirror” tropes in bathroom cabinet scenes (11:06)

Pop Culture Gags

• Instagram account “people selling mirrors” (11:52): hilarious failed attempts at mirror selfies to sell mirrors online

3. TV Production: Order of Episodes (12:11–16:48)

• Pilot Episodes and Running Order:
  Viewer question: Is the first episode always the first filmed?

• Richard explains:

  • In shows with a narrative arc or carryover (e.g., Pointless, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?), the order matters.
  • “Capsule” shows with self-contained episodes (House of Games, The Wheel) often air stronger later episodes first to put their “best foot forward”.
  • Sitcoms can sometimes be reordered if the episodes are stand-alone, but serials generally aren’t.

  Quote:
  “What you get all the time… is people watch and think you’ve really worked out what the show is now. And I say, ‘You are watching it completely out of order. The person who’s worked out what it is, is you!’” — Richard Osman (15:41)

4. Celebrity “Cloning” & Internet Conspiracies (20:33–26:08)

Jim Carrey at the Cesars & Viral Doppelganger Theory

• Backstory:
  Jim Carrey’s appearance at the César Awards (in French, with apparent facial work) triggered rumors he’d been cloned, or his place taken by a drag queen.
• Hosts’ Take:
  • Marina dismisses the rumor, notes the internet’s tendency to “clone” anyone whose appearance shifts (“None of these are ever true, by the way.” — 21:20).
  • Richard suggests the rumor caught on since Carrey once played Andy Kaufman, known for public performance pranks; yet Carrey’s “cloning” is medically implausible (21:27).

Recurring Patterns in Celebrity Theories

• Discussion of cyclical conspiracy bursts: fake deaths, body doubles, and cloned celebrities (e.g., Selena Gomez, Princess Kate, Beyonce, Avril Lavigne, Britney Spears, Melania Trump).
• Cultural Context:
  Marina ties this to broader public distrust:
  “We are in a cultural moment… where there’s a sort of groundswell of conspiracy. Cloning or complete misrepresentation is a part of that.” (22:26)
• Personal Guilt:
  Marina confesses to having started the “Fake Melania” theory as a joke tweet in 2017, which “went so viral” it ended up on Sky News and the Washington Post (24:05–25:02).

Final Assessment

• Neither host believes in these conspiracy theories (Paul McCartney is not dead, Tupac is not alive, etc.)
• Quote:
  “I don’t think in general they’re ever really true.” — Marina Hyde (26:05)

5. Would I Lie To You? – Tracking Down Mystery Guests (27:13–33:31)

The Art of TV "Detective Work"

• Listener question: How do producers find those esoteric “mystery guests”?

• Behind the Scenes:
  Richard reads a story from producer Peter Holmes:

  • They routinely track down obscure individuals—flight attendants, tour guides, butchers, etc.—using whatever clues they have (names, rumored professions).
  • Example: The effort to find Judge Rob Rinder’s secret school crush, Edward, for the show, with only a first name, a vague “job in meat,” and distant school links; after extensive detective work and Google Earth “shopfront tours,” the producers succeed.
    • (Entire sequence: 27:43–32:44)

• Quote:
  “That is art. It’s unbelievable… They should all work for the FBI or something, shouldn’t they?” — Marina Hyde (32:44)

The Human Touch in Production

• The warmth and seamlessness of Would I Lie To You? come from extraordinary behind-the-scenes effort.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Mirror Scenes (07:28)

“Certainly one of my shout outs for possibly one of my favorite movie scenes ever: in Taxi Driver when Robert De Niro is talking to himself in the mirror… That’s, you know, they didn’t have much, huge amounts of money, Martin Scorsese, but it’s great.”
— Marina Hyde

On Celebrity Conspiracies (24:05)

“Absolutely convinced that Melania is being played by a Melania impersonator these days. Theory: She left him weeks ago and thought nothing more of it. Now, within a few days…I thought, oh my God, it’s gone so viral.”
— Marina Hyde discussing the origins of the “Fake Melania” rumor

On TV Detective Work (32:44)

"That is art. It’s unbelievable. I mean, they should all work for the FBI or something, shouldn’t they? Amazing when you think how long the Met take to bring in certain people, isn’t it?”
— Marina Hyde, on Would I Lie To You? production team

On Production Quality (33:22)

“For a show that feels like it has such a light touch…it’s like you’re walking on air when you’re on that show. But as so often in television, that’s because there are people behind the scenes who have done every single thing to make sure that show is going to run beautifully and perfectly and be funny and charming and warm. It’s a real testament to production team’s art.”
— Richard Osman

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:22] — Oscars follow-up and Pentagon-military hardware filmmaking insights
• [05:13] — Q&A: Mirror scenes in TV and film, technical tricks, and favorite examples
• [12:11] — Q&A: How TV producers decide the order for broadcasting newly-filmed episodes
• [20:33] — Q&A: Outlandish celebrity conspiracy theories (“cloning,” etc.) and why they arise
• [24:05] — Marina’s confession: starting the “Fake Melania” conspiracy as a joke
• [27:13] — Q&A: “Would I Lie To You?” — how mystery guests are tracked down
• [32:44] — Praise for unsung heroes: behind-the-scenes production magic

Tone and Style

The episode is breezy, droll, and lightly irreverent. Richard and Marina combine dry wit with deep industry knowledge, making even the most outlandish questions sound plausible—before showing the keen, skeptical reasoning behind entertainment’s smokes and mirrors. Their banter keeps the discussion lively even as they peel back the curtain on media’s weirder corners.

Summary Takeaway

This episode is a consummate blend of showbiz mythbusting, technical curiosity, and real affection for TV and film—giving listeners an insider’s appreciation for how entertainment magic (and rumors) really happen. Whether unpacking viral absurdities like celebrity clones or the nuts and bolts of TV logistics and film craft, Richard Osman and Marina Hyde keep things clever, skeptical, and always entertaining.