When we at Parentdish UK heard the news that Simon Cowell's baby was on the way, we put together an 'artist's impression' of how the little one might look if he takes after his dad. And wow, did it go viral!
The image appeared on Twitter, quickly making its way across the social media site as thousands of users retweeted our mock-up. Among those loving our pic was TV tycoon Sir Alan Sugar, whose tweet sharing the image was retweeted over 1,500 times
And Sir Alan wasn't the only one getting in on the action. Singer Sinitta, Cowell's former pop prodigy, couldn't resist a gag at the expense of her old friend.
Is ThisThePic? pic.twitter.com/qcLWePvpz1
- Sinitta 19 (@sinittaofficial) February 14, 2014
After spreading like wildfire across social media, the pic began appearing on major online publications. Buzzfeed featured it in an article, noting the viral success of the picture which 'did the rounds a lot'. UK showbiz news site Digital Spy also retweeted the image, calling it 'brilliant if a little terrifying'.
It wasn't long before national news outlets seized on the viral success in their coverage of the baby's arrival. The Daily Mail used our mock-up as its lead picture in an article on the internet's response to the birth, and The Huffington Post UK retweeted the image from their official Twitter account.
RT @parentdish_uk exclusive: First pic of Simon Cowell's son. pic.twitter.com/26xPCSJEEY
- HuffPost UK (@HuffPostUK) February 14, 2014
Complete with high-waisted nappies and bushy chest hair, our gag mock-up of the Cowell baby turned out to be nothing like adorable little Eric, of course, but it certainly kept the internet giggling while we waited for an official snap of the newborn.