A picture of Boris Johnson on the phone to US president Joe Biden has caused a stir online after social media users spotted something odd.
Johnson was the first European leader to speak with the new US president over the weekend.
The pair discussed strengthening the transatlantic relationship, the critical role of NATO, and joked about who had pinched their shared “build back better” slogan from who and bonded over their mutual love of trains.
But it was an image released by Downing Street showing Johnson with a thump up in the air while holding a phone in the other that caused a stir on Twitter.
Users noticed Johnson’s phone cord seemed to be edited out and the phone still in its holding cradle.
Laying cable: the excretion of lengths.
Lying cable: when the phone cord in the mirror is from a different picture after your £100,000 tax-payer funded photographer has finished photoshopping your spontaneous chat with Joe Biden. pic.twitter.com/zBeJunmZoQ
— Michael Govern Ready (@mikegove12) January 24, 2021
ITV’s political editor Robert Peston tweeted: “This is flipping weird. The phone cable should be visible in the mirror descending from @BorisJohnson’s watch, in this official Downing St picture. It’s not. What is going on?”
This is flipping weird. The phone cable should be visible in the mirror descending from @BorisJohnson’s watch, in this official Downing St picture. It’s not. What is going on? https://t.co/aRsrMSc0DT
— Robert Peston (@Peston) January 24, 2021
One user pointed out to the phone was still in its cradle.
If you think the cable us weird zoom in on the phone it's still in its cradle pic.twitter.com/rf0fAYYXGS
— theninetyninepercent (@theninetyninep1) January 24, 2021
Others said it was the angle at which the photo was taken that made all the difference.
It is very much just angles https://t.co/HuePnyNmAd pic.twitter.com/NzCyC7pLqy
— Freddie Poser (@freddie_poser) January 24, 2021
Some used it as a chance to create some humour.
One user, by the name of Sottle, quipped: “I mean we could get into debates about how cameras, lights, mirrors, and shadows work. Or we could accept the fact that the really sketchy thing this photo shows is that Boris Johnson is our prime minister.”
I mean we could get into debates about how cameras, lights, mirrors, and shadows work. Or we could accept the fact that the really sketchy thing this photo shows is that Boris Johnson is our Prime Minister. https://t.co/bRRy3C32aY
— Sottle (@coL_Sottle) January 24, 2021
Paul Geddes joked No 10 had photoshopped Bernie Sanders out.
Looks like they also photoshopped out some old guy. Here is the original image. #Berniememes pic.twitter.com/5Wm7Sz4kIk
— Paul Geddes (@Gedallino) January 24, 2021