Crimewatch host Jason Mohammad ridiculed after introducing mugshot of lookalike criminal
CRIMEWATCH faced one of its most awkward moments ever last night when viewers noticed a criminal’s mugshot looked just like presenter Jason Mohammad.
Jason Mohammad had an awkward moment on Crimewatch
He and co-host Sophie Raworth were giving updates on previous cases that had been solved when a picture bearing a striking resemblance to him flashed up.
The snap was actually of Victor Lakatos, a thug who was featured on the show after a brutal assault on a pensioner and has now been sentenced to 18 years behind bars.
But the criminal got much more fame than was perhaps expected when his likeness to Jason became a social media sensation.
PC Alice Nicholas, posting a screengrab of the moment, wrote simply: “That awkward moment…,” and her post quickly went viral.
PC Nicholas's post went viral
The hosts didn't notice the resemblance
Thanks for the tweets. And yes, I’ve seen the picture
She wasn’t the only one to spot it, as another viewer quipped: “I’d say your presenter has some explaining to do #crimewatch”, while a third asked simply: “Is it just me or does the Crimewatch presenter look like the criminal he's asking the public to look out for?”
“Think you've got your man. It's not often the villain turns up in the studio,” another wisecracker remarked.
Jason himself only referenced the funny moment in passing, tweeting: “Thanks for the tweets. And yes, I’ve seen the picture #Crimewatch”.
Sophie, meanwhile, also got in on the action by retweeting another post about the scene.
Jason Mohammad is a very popular fixture on the show
Sophie Raworth also hosts the programme
It’s not the first time something so unfortunate has happened: in 2011 a US reporter in Baltimore was left red-faced when he looked exactly like a police sketch he introduced.
In 2009 a Los Angeles local news show had a similar faux-pas when a newsreader showed a police sketch of a wanted rapist, with viewers suggesting he looked a lot like the subject.
Crimewatch airs Mondays at 9pm on BBC One.