[ad_1]
A “deepfake” Queen is poised to deliver a warning about misinformation and fake news in this year’s Christmas alternate message.
Channel 4’s annual Christmas Day address airs shortly after the official royal broadcast and has previously featured whistleblower Edward Snowden, actor Danny dyer, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the children who survived the Grenfell Tower disaster and The Simpsons.
‘The Queen’ will reveal what she and Philip have been up to during the lockdown and give her opinion on Harry and Meghan’s move to the United States. Photo: Channel 4
For 2020, the alternate speaker will be an artificially rendered version of the monarch, played by actress Debra Stephenson, who will say that she has not always been able to “speak clearly and from the heart” on the BBC.
“So I’m grateful to Channel 4 for giving me the opportunity to say what I want, without anyone putting words to me,” she says.
Playing the Queen, Stephenson will appear to reveal what she and Prince Philip have been up to during the lockdown (apparently she’s a fan of “Netflix and Phil”), talk briefly about Prince Andrew’s future travel plans, and give his thoughts on Harry’s move and Meghan to the United States earlier this year.
His final comment warns viewers to ask “if what we see and hear is always what it seems,” before performing a TikTok dance, with a green screen showing that the images of Buckingham Palace are not real.
Deepfakes, a form of effect in which one person’s face is superimposed on another’s body in videos, have become more prevalent in recent years and are used to create compelling, made-up videos of high-profile people.
Actress and impersonator Debra Stephenson plays royalty
Stephenson, an actress, comedian and impressionist best known for her roles on Coronation Street and Bad Girls, says she has an “intense fascination” with technology.
“For years I have studied people to pose as them on television, but now I can really become them,” he said. “As an actress, it’s exciting, but it’s also scary considering how it could be used in other contexts.”
Channel 4 Program Director Ian Katz said: “Deepfake technology is the terrifying new frontier in the battle between disinformation and truth.
“This year’s Alternate Christmas Speech, apparently delivered by one of the country’s best known and most trusted figures, is a powerful reminder that we can no longer trust our own eyes.”
The Queen’s normal Christmas message will air on BBC One at 3pm on Christmas Day, while Channel 4’s will air at 3.25pm.
