Denise Ohnona, a 39-year old mother of two from the UK town of Ormskirk who bears an uncanny resemblance to Kate Moss, is now actively pursuing a career as a model despite her not-so-tender age and the scars she got in her youth, the Daily Star reports.
As Ohnona explained, she "set her sights on modelling" in her teenage years, as even back then strangers often mistook her for Moss, but then a car accident thwarted her aspirations.
"I was a passenger and was hit by a double decker bus. My face smashed into the windscreen and was ripped apart. I was full of scars all over my face. I still have them even after multiple surgeries, steroid infections (sic!), laser, gets, patches, creams, etc.", she told the newspaper. "Right before the accident there was a model agency interested at the time but after that I looked like a monster. Modelling never crossed my mind after that."
This unfortunate event effectively put her plans on hold for years, until Denise eventually took part in Channel 4 series called “Lookalikes”, and since then her career, in her own words, "snowballed".
"In January, I did a flash mob with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle lookalikes and feedback was really good so I said you know what, I'm going to go for it. Photographers then started approaching me and brands began booking me to do modelling shoots to events. It’s gone crazy. I went from a mum with two kids to having this other world that I do now," she said.
Now, Denise reveals, she is often being asked to attend “restaurant openings” and “amazing parties,” and frequently receives “free clothes and items” from various brands.
However, even as people continue to marvel at her likeness to the famous model, Denise insists that “there is only one Kate Moss” as she seeks to carve out a name for herself.
"A lot of photographers tell me 'You look like Kate but I want to see your look'. I find that a huge compliment", she remarked. "I’m 40 next year and it makes me happy that photographers like my work. They’re not always after the Kate thing now they’re after my unique look and that’s always a compliment for me."