A student who dressed up as a bedbug for Halloween, complete with a garlic necklace and beret, said it felt like a “very obvious” thing to do amid concerns over the insects making their way to the UK from France.
Dan Egg, who is a journalism Master’s student at City, University of London, went clubbing with friends around Bethnal Green over the weekend and sparked the interest of social media users with his “silly” take on a topical issue.
“Every year, I try and do something vaguely topical,” the 32-year-old, from near Dalston, east London, told the PA news agency.
“The bedbugs are apparently coming over from Paris and, given the scare, dressing up as a bedbug felt like a very obvious thing to do.
“It’s not spooky or sexy, which is the normal thing to do at Halloween, but I enjoy being a bit silly.”
Paris and other French cities reportedly dealt with bedbug infestations in September, with London Mayor Sadiq Khan saying early in October that the threat of France’s bedbug outbreak spreading to London’s public transport network was “a real source of concern”.
Mr Egg’s post on X, formerly known as Twitter, about the costume has garnered thousands of interactions, with people tagging friends to marvel at the ensemble, or sharing pictures of their own, similar outfits.
The bedbug impersonator said he has received mixed reactions from people who have seen him in the costume in person, including asking for photos.
“I actually went out (on Saturday night) and there were some other bedbugs as well, so clearly other people had the same idea,” he said.
Mr Egg said he bought a cockroach costume and then added “various French accoutrements”, including a beret, stripey top and a “necklace of garlic” to create the outfit.
While at the club, he said he was joined by a “few other” bedbugs, but claimed: “My outfit was better.”
Since 2017, Mr Egg has donned an array of outfits, including dressing up as Diana, Princess of Wales, in her “revenge” dress, former British prime minister Theresa May in fields of wheat, and Wagatha Christie.
He added: “It’s fun to see that other people enjoy the outfits as well.”
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