A Bono lookalike has spoken about his time impersonating the infamous U2 frontman and the joy it brings him and others.
Pavel Sfera spoke to Dublin Live from his dressing room as he was adding mascara to his beard to look more like the charitable musician.
"The first time I realised that I look like Bono even though I don't think I look like Bono was in 1979," he said.
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"By the mid 1990's or so it was so prevalent that I had to stare in the mirror and have a few friends of mine that were fans hold a photo of me and a photo of him. I don't follow Bono online I usually get friends of mine that are uber fans to email me and say that he has a new haircut.
"One time I was haggling with a Korean gentleman that was selling some socks. I needed some black socks, I like black socks. It was a petty little argument we were having, just banter back and forth.
"A gal comes up to me, stands right in front of me and just starts crying. I didn't say a word. I knew what was transpiring. I didn't want to say to her- I'm not who you think I am."
"I love U2 music. I l love the lyrics. I love the melodies. I'm a musician as well. I love Bono. I love the fact that he stayed with his wife. I love the fact that he's in his kids' lives. He used his celebrity presence to make humanity an idea that people had to everyday get involved with.
"I feel a bit guilty, that it's vicarious, that I'm getting this love from people who think that I may be Bono but I try to be gracious about it. There's an amount of people that are convinced that I'm the real thing. I'm getting the opportunity to feel a certain sort of love. I'm grateful to be in that present moment where people are expressing that certain sort of affection."
Just like his doppelgänger, Pavel is involved in a lot of charitable work.
He said: "I do a lot of humanitarian work, not because of the whole Bono thing. This is entertainment. Recently, I was in Romania doing humanitarian work with the Ukrainian refugees coming across the Danube river. I bought a one way ticket. I didn't know what was going to happen.
"I thought I would die there as well. This is humanity. People have to step out of themselves to provide assistance to end suffering all over the world."
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