Top 10 Celebrity Impressions That Aged Badly

Top 10 Celebrity Impressions That Aged Badly

Welcome to WatchMojoUK, today we’re looking at impersonations of celebrities which haven’t stood the test of time. 

#10: Hugh Dennis as Jimmy Savile

Dennis became one of Britain’s most beloved comedians, appearing on both “Mock The Week” and “Outnumbered”. Fans will be well aware of his velociraptor impression, but less are familiar with his Savile impersonation. Back in the 2000s, it was a fairly common joke on “Mock The Week”. The impression was a silly voice, then rambling on about “Showaddywaddy”. Thankfully, Dennis stopped the jokes after his seedy activities became public knowledge. At least it’s not as bad as the time Savile himself appeared on “Have I Got News For You”, where he kept making creepy jokes, hinting at his darker side. 

#9: Thatcher on Spitting Image

Way back in the 1980s, “Spitting Image” was one of Britain’s most popular series, with 15 million viewers at its peak. It was revived in 2020, and promptly cancelled in 2022. One of their most famous caricatures was of Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s most polarizing leader. In the south, she’s remembered as the Iron Lady. In the north, the milk snatcher. Despite overwhelming Thatcher controversies, “Spitting Image” decided to joke about her dressing and behaving like a man. It feels like they have little understanding of her policies, or simply chose not to address them. The 2020 revival has aged just as poorly, for instance, they poked fun at Keir Starmer’s chances of becoming Prime Minister, and now that’s his job.  

#8: Rory Bremner as Tony Blair

Blair was Prime Minister from 1997 to 2007, winning three elections, then eventually resigning when his approval ratings tanked. One of the major reasons he became so unpopular was his involvement in the 2003 Iraq War. Now, this is the main thing he’s remembered for. During his rule, comedian Rory Bremner frequently impersonated Blair. They were fairly lighthearted sketches, softening the image of Blair, and therefore aging terribly. Bremner captures his mannerisms, voice, and rhetoric perfectly, but in hindsight, it feels like it’s letting Blair off the hook a bit. Later political satirists, like Harry Enfield & Paul Whitehouse, would take a much harsher approach. 

#7: Kate & Pippa Middleton in “The Windsors”

In 2016, “The Windsors” began on Channel 4. It’s a sitcom parodying the royal family, featuring highly exaggerated versions of the Royal Family. Two of the most offensive portrayals are of Kate and Pippa Middleton. For some reason, they decided to make them both gypsies. Giving the pair Romani heritage is part of a gag about her being too common for the family. It’s deeply offensive though, especially when Pippa places a curse on Kate. It reinforces negative stereotypes about Romani people, and additionally, neither of the actors are ethnically Romani. Also, the Middleton’s background is a long way away from being working class.  

#6: David Walliams as Jeremy Kyle

For almost 15 years, Jeremy Kyle instigated drama between the working class, all for the sake of daytime television. One of its core elements was using a lie detector to shame his guests, despite it being scientifically unproven to detect lies. Eventually, a guest named Steve Dymond was brutally shamed for failing the lie detector tests. Dymond was heartbroken, and not long after, he ended his life. This makes David Walliams’ 2016 impression of him quite unsettling to watch now. While it wasn’t particularly offensive, it’s a relic of a time when mocking the vulnerable on TV was widely accepted, making it challenging to watch in the 2020s. 

#5: Jarvis Cocker as Rolf Harris

As lead singer of “Pulp”, Cocker was an icon of 90s Britpop. Way back in 1995, he appeared in “Stars in Their Eyes”, a television contest where people impersonate idols. Cocker unfortunately chose to dress up as Rolf Harris. At the time, Harris was an A-list celebrity in the UK. This lasted until just after Jimmy Savile’s death, when it came out that Harris was equally vile. In 2014, Harris was sentenced to prison, and died disgraced in 2013. So even though Cocker was unaware of his vile behavior, the impression has aged like milk. 

#4: Jim Howick as Gregg Wallace

“Horrible Histories” is one of the century’s finest children’s TV shows so far. The original cast, also known as the “Them There” collective, are all now giants of British comedy. Jim Howick is one of their most iconic members, also known as Gerard in Peep Show. One sketch parodied “MasterChef”, with Howick impersonating Gregg Wallace. At the time, it was hilarious, especially when he’s creepy toward a World War 2 Housewife. As most of our viewers will be aware, Wallace has been accused of sexual harassment, making public opinion of him extremely negative. Now, in hindsight, it feels a bit too uncomfortable for children’s TV. 

#3: Jackie Chan on Hedz

CBBC is a peculiar channel choice for political satire. The target audience is children, who are unlikely to understand a lot of commentary. Still, “Hedz” was relatively popular. It includes an abundance of awfully aged impressions, parodying celebrities not appropriate for children’s TV, like Russell Brand & Johnny Depp. Out of all their impressions, Jackie Chan has aged horrifically. He stars in his show “Jackie Chan”, where he does hilariously simple acts with over-the-top kung-fu. It’s absurdly racist, with a particularly abhorrent Asian accent. This is problematic, because it desensitizes children to harmful stereotypes. On top of this, they’ll probably copy it, leading to racism in schools. 

#2: Leigh Francis as Craig David

By today’s standards, “Bo Selecta!” pushes the limits of being crass. In the 2000s, it was relatively popular, with sketches featuring Leigh Francis in unsettling celebrity masks. The most offensive was his Craig David impression. It’s aged badly, but to anyone aware of how harmful blackface is, it was abysmal at the time. Admittedly, this was an era when blackface was painfully common in British comedy, as revealed by shows like “Little Britain”, which the creators have since apologized for. David was understandably offended by Francis’ portrayal, which he said was normalizing racism and bullying. Francis apologized in 2020, but David didn’t feel it was genuine, with the show’s fans responding by insisting the show was funny regardless of the racism. 

#1: Elijah Wood as Jimmy Savile

Wood is most famous for playing Frodo Baggins, alongside numerous other iconic roles, like “The Guy” in “Spy Kids 3-D”. Back in 2008, he appeared on “The Friday Night Project”, and for some reason dressed up like Jimmy Savile. This was 4 years before his death when the public had a largely positive opinion of him. This is why the audience finds it hilarious, but if it was repeated today, there’d be nothing but boos. Surprisingly, it might be the most controversial thing in Wood’s career, yet at the time no one would’ve batted an eye.

Are there any particularly cursed impersonations we forgot to mention? Let us know in the comments section!