Entertainment
Radio 1’s Matt Edmondson offering cash if you’ll change your name to Karen to save it from extinction-Lucy Norris-Entertainment – Metro
Matt, can we speak to your manager?
Matt Edmondson’s on a mission to save Karen’s from discrimination everywhere (Picture: Getty Images)
Roll up, roll up – apply to be a Karen today, free of charge…
Radio 1’s Matt Edmondson has declared he’ll pay 100 people to legally change their names to Karen amid news the name is on its way out.
The presenter is on a mission to save the tainted title from extinction following its decline after an online phenomenon branded all Karens a complaining nuisance.
He plans to match the price of a deed poll request – £42.44 – that will re-birth willing closet Karens who accept the challenge of changing the tide against the once popular girl’s name.
Matt was saddened by the news that the number of children being given the name had fallen below the 500 mark and decided it was his calling to create more Karens before it was too late.
He told Metro.co.uk: ‘There’s a difference between a Karen which is the shorthand for someone complaining and just someone who’s called Karen and is more than likely a lovely person.
Matt’s launching a board game called Karen with his company Format Games
The presenter hosts a radio show with former Saturdays member Mollie King (Picture: Getty Images)
‘We looked into it and saw there was a huge decline in Karens being born, it peaked in 1965.
‘The latest data we have is from 2020 and there are only 325 new Karens and so we figured why don’t we celebrate the name Karen and put some distance between it and the word Karen – we’re on a mission to save the name.’
Matt is saving Karens but he’s also launching a new board game with his company Format Games that centres around the internet version of the complaining character.
Before sending the tongue in cheek product onto shelves, he thought it his moral obligation to make the distinction between the name and the word so as not to harm any unsuspecting people with the title in the making of his game.
The star’s heading out to appeal to the public to help save Karen from extinction (Picture: Getty Images)
He has also pledged to call any new little arrivals to his family by the name in question (Picture: Getty Images)
‘The reason we wanted to do it was because we released a board game called Karen about complaining and what we didn’t want to do was conflate the idea with everybody that goes by that name – it was a Karen-undrum,’ he reflected.
Matt continued: ‘We wanted to shout about how great our game was and so that was the aim for us but we were also worried that there could be some people called Karen who might not know this word has another meaning.
Explaining the terms and conditions to his unique offer he urged people to fill in their details on karennamechange.com.
‘We’re going to select someone who puts their details into the website to win a lifetime supply of games.
‘We’ve had a fair few people put their details in, whether any of them go through with it and decide to become Karens I don’t know but we’re standing by, our cheque book is ready and we will pay for that name change on their behalf.
How’s Matt doing his own bit on a personal level? Well, he also promised to brand any future mini-mes with the controversial title should he have any in the future.
The DJ confirmed: ‘I have two children Ivy and Willow so I’ve missed the boat but if I have another one I’ll call them Karen!’
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