Fact Check: Was Mr. Bean Found in Wuhan?

An uncanny look-alike of the famous Mr Bean found himself portraying the character after he got stuck in the city of Wuhan amid the global pandemic.

The man decided to take advantage of the opportunity by recording daily videos and posting them on social depicting his life within the virus-stricken city.

According to Fox News, the man who hailed from England, Nigel Dixon, was visiting some of his friends in Wuhan when he got locked down inside the city.

Impersonating the famous character

He wanted to show how his life inside the epicentre of the coronavirus was like by filming himself three or four times every week while wearing the iconic character's attire.

Dixon stated how Chinese citizens admired him and how interested they were of him because of his resemblance to Mr Bean. He added that the news channels in the city also referred to him as the most famous Western in the Asian city.

He was in awe of how much support the citizens were giving him in the city. Dixon noted the amount of love that he felt during his stay. He revealed that he gained five to ten million followers who were sending their encouragement and showing their concern for his well-being.

Dixon gained up to a total of 460 million followers on his account in the Chinese version of Twitter.

He also explained that his videos became a focal point in teaching people on the status of the city and what steps they could take to ensure their safety.

Also Read: Tourist Spots in China Flooded with People As Lockdown Lifted

Dixon also said he showed up to some main news channels in China where he would sometimes portray the famous character or simply be himself and advise people on wearing masks and staying inside as much as possible, as reported by Metro News.

The videos he posted made the situation with the coronavirus much clearer for the people who were watching.

Helping those in need

He also made personal videos as Mr Bean, including one he recorded for a little girl who was suffering from heart problems who replied by saying the footage made her feel better through her condition.

According to The Sun UK, the Mr Bean impersonator said the activities helped keep himself busy and gave him something to do.

For five months, Dixon did not see another Western foreigner in the city. After he came home to the UK, he shared he had mixed feelings of leaving the culture that he had stayed in for some time.

He shared his relief of finally coming back home but also said he was cautious due to how differently the West reacted to the coronavirus pandemic.

Dixon quoted something a friend of his said to him, "We're not all in the same boat like people say - we're all in the same storm, but in different boats." The friend added we are all affected by the situation, but the severity is different for every person.

The man added how we all need to give each other our support to get through the pandemic together.