A Quaker chaplain who bears a striking resemblance to Prime Minister Andy Burnham has invited him for a chat on her YouTube channel. Emma Roberts, known online as Mandy Burnham, has gained a TikTok following due to her thick-rimmed glasses, expressive eyebrows, and short quiff hairdo that mirror the PM's distinctive look.
Emma Roberts invites Andy Burnham for interview
In a video posted this morning, Roberts said: 'My main aim, I think, is to get Andy to have an interview, a recorded conversation on YouTube on my channel Quakerology, where I talk about people's faith journeys.' Alternatively, she suggested she could talk to his Catholic mother Eileen, who gave Burnham a big hug outside Downing Street before he entered for the first time last week.
The 54-year-old's new moniker appears to have been coined by a TikTok user called Rich, who commented on a post she made about the weather while on a camping trip. Another user commented: 'What are you doing camping and not in Number 10? You have a country to run!' Roberts has since posted several other videos playing along with the joke, including one where she admitted her mother was also teasing her about the similarity.
Mandy Burnham embraces the comparison
Roberts told her followers: 'Even my own mother – and she said to me after 20 minutes, "I've been looking at you on this Zoom call for 20 minutes thinking the exact same thing." Oh my gosh, my mother has seen me before.' According to the Sun, Roberts – a lifelong Labour supporter – has jokingly been called 'Our Mandy, woman of the people' by her partner Iona.
Burnham, 56, was brought up as a Catholic and has ranked the church alongside the Labour Party and Everton FC as one of the three biggest influences in his life. While he is no longer practicing, the new PM has cited Archbishop of Liverpool Derek Worlock as one of the main forces who shaped his political views when he was young. In 2023, he visited the Vatican and presented Pope Francis with a signed Manchester United football shirt.
Faith and politics intersect
In a recent video, Roberts said: 'It's really interesting to me, because I am commenting on religious issues, spiritual issues and politics. The fact that Andy Burnham is a Catholic, a non-practicing Catholic, I think is interesting to me – is that going to change British politics?' Her channel Quakerology focuses on people's faith journeys, and she hopes to explore these themes with the PM.
