Thousands of people have taken to social networking sites to describe the 75-year-old comic as a dead ringer for Argentinian Jorge Bergoglio.
And the darts game show presenter - known for his catchphrase “Super, smashing, great†- agrees.
Bowen today said: “I find it hilarious that I’ve been compared to the Pope. The response from the public has been overwhelming.
“My driver told me Bullseye has had an additional 9,000 ‘likes’ on our Facebook page since the Pope was revealed, which is just mind blowing.
“When I saw a photograph of Pope Francis I couldn’t believe how similar we look - it’s a super, smashing, great resemblance!
“It’s been more than 15 years since I’ve been on Bullseye so I’m delighted that so many people still know who I am.
“I’m honoured that my name is being used in the same sentence as the Pope.
“Hopefully it will help me make a comeback - perhaps as a lookalike.â€
Bergoglio, 76, and Bowen, are both bald, wear glasses and have the same skin tone.
Bowen was trending on Twitter when the white smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel in St Peter’s Square in the Vatican City.
The thick smoke signalled the appointment of the new Pope and Brits could not believe how much he looked like the television legend.
His Wikipedia page was even edited by a quick-thinking individual after the new Pope was elected.
It read: “Bowen serves as the 266th pope, having been elected on 13 March 2013. In that role, he is both the leader of the Catholic Church and sovereign ruler of the Vatican City state.â€
http://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/super-smashing-great-bullseyes-jim-bowen-planning-come-back-as-pope-lookalike-8535969.html
