larry madowo photobomb

Toronto man unexpectedly goes viral after photobombing famous Kenyan journalist

We've all been on one side of the other of a photobombing incident, during which some random person (maybe you) posed behind the intended subject of a picture while it was being taken for comedic effect.

Sometimes the results are funny. Sometimes they're annoying. 

As in the case of one unidentified man who recently popped up in the background of a CNN correspondent's staged photo in downtown Toronto, sometimes they can make headlines.

For some reason, a news article out of East Africa about the photobomb mentioned above is tearing up Facebook today more than almost anything else in Canada (which is to say it's getting enough shares, likes and engagements to pop up as a trending post on the platform's backend).

Published by the Kenyan digital news platform TUKO.co.ke on Wednesday, the piece is headlined "Larry Madowo Amused By Man Who Photobombed His Picture in Toronto."

The picture in question shows Madowo, a celebrated journalist from Kenya who has worked for both The BBC and CNN, where he currently serves as an international correspondent.

He happened to be in Toronto this week for the world premier of the documentary Free Money, in which he was featured, at TIFF. Filmed over the course of five years, the doc explores "the consequences, both intended and unintended, when everyone in a Kenyan village is offered a universal basic income by a U.S. organization."

It appears as though Madowo linked up with a talented portrait photographer to grab some snaps and video footage of himself at Yonge and Dundas while he was in town, calling the infamous intersection a "low budget Times Square."

He shared one shot with his more than 1.3 million followers on Instagram yesterday in which a man wearing a red sweater walks by in the background, playfully gesturing toward the photographer and looking straight into the camera.

"Loving this photobomber’s energy! Do you see him?" wrote Madowo in the caption of his post, attracting comments from people who agreed that red shirt guy stole the show.

Nobody has come forward on Madowo's IG to identify themself as the man in red since the post came out some 24 hours ago, suggesting that the guy didn't know he was photobombing a famous Kenyan journalist, or that his slick pose would make news outlets overseas.

Either way, the simple stunt charmed Madowo, who wrote in another Instagram post that "the people are super nice" in Toronto, "unlike New York with its attitude and Naked Cowboy."

Lead photo by

Larry Madowo/SlyD Photography


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