"Cigar Guy" Revealed: Meet the Man Behind the Internet Frenzy
Last weekend, a Daily Mail photog snapped a picture of Tiger Woods chipping a ball at him—but all anybody wanted to talk about was a member of the crowd, now dubbed "Cigar Guy." Today, his identity was revealed.
Rejoice, meme lovers, for the mystery behind one of the fastest growing Internet phenomena in recent history has been solved. According to the Mail, Cigar Guy is the man in the above picture, 30-year-old Londoner and investment analyst Rupesh Shingadia.
Apparently, the Mail was able to track Shingadia down last night in a detached house in South London, where currently resides with his parents. It was there that they interviewed the "embarrassed and overwhelmed" overnight star.
So, what does the Shingadia interview reveal? For starters, the reason why he was dressed the way he was when the photo was taken:
Rupesh said his costume was a 'tribute' to Spanish gol fer Miguel Angel Jimenez.
'I wanted to do something to show my support for the European team and I thought of Miguel. These days sportsmen have become devoid of character. But Miguel does his own thing and I love the way he walks around the course with a cigar clamped between his teeth.'
We also learn that he's single, unaware of marriage proposals from smitten fans, and someone with a sensitive, don't-use-me-for-my-fame softer side:
Currently single, he was unaware of the marriage proposals delivered via Facebook. Perhaps he might wish to trade on that?
'I'm not so sure,' he says. 'I'd want them to love me for who I am – not just Cigar Guy.'
Oh, and what about the countless Photoshops? Has he seen them, and did he like them? Does he have a favorite? Here's the answer:
He had become an online icon, Photoshopped into pictures of dramatic moments from history.
'My favourite is me with The Simpsons,' said Rupesh. 'It's difficult to understand the situation because it has just been thrust upon me. Some people spend years craving this kind of attention but to me it happened by accident. It's just bizarre.
'But I'm still expecting to go to work next week. I'm not expecting it to change my life in the long term.'
To learn more about Shingadia, check out the full interview on the Mail's web site.