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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Damien Edgar

Hilarious 'phone fear' moment caught on camera during President Biden's Belfast visit

A Carrickfergus man says he's been overwhelmed by the response to his relatable "phone fear" moment being caught on TV cameras during President Biden's Belfast visit.

Joel White said he was not aware that he was in-shot for a TV interview with DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson when he briefly thought he'd lost his phone.

He said he wasn't even aware it had been picked up until a message from a friend.

Read more: In pictures: US President Joe Biden's historic trip to Belfast

"I actually had a friend who I hadn't replied to, he was trying to arrange a golf game and I felt bad because he hadn't replied," Joel told Belfast Live.

"He messaged me saying 'mate, have you lost your phone?' and I thought 'aw, I haven't replied to him!'.

"Then I went onto it and it was a video of me looking for my phone so that was how I saw it initially then went onto the news to look at it myself, just couldn't believe it!".

The 24-year-old said he had got a bit of a teasing from friends since the video started to do the rounds.

"I got a few photos sent of it at the time and I was wondering what was going on, so I was getting a bit of a slagging from mates," he said.

"I think that's why people relate to it so much, because it's just such an everyday moment that you experience where there's that panic and the sense of panic is captured so well from the facial expressions and the flapping about!

"It was a real honour to be there at all, I was there with Young Enterprise NI as an alumni and I was able to meet Joe Biden and shake his hand.

"I didn't think that me losing my phone for a second was going to be a takeaway of the day at all."

He said he couldn't believe the reaction to the video when he shared it on his Twitter, but said that it was all in good fun.

"I was really surprised yeah, another friend had put it up on their Snapchat story initially," he said.

"I just thought 'you know what, I'll stick it on Twitter because that's the sort of audience it will land with'.

"I stuck it on at 11.30 and when I woke up it had hundreds of likes and I thought it was a bit strange.

"My watch has been buzzing throughout the day, but sure if you can't laugh at yourself, what can you do?."

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