Whitney Houston Lookalike Found Dead

Sharon Claus, a lookalike of American singer and actress Whitney Houston, has been found dead in Stoke.

Her friend, and former enemy, Kaz Forester, confirmed her death this morning. While the cause of death remains unclear, Staffordshire Police said she was found dead in her hotel room at the Burslem Hilton.

The Burslem Hilton hotel

Police spokesman Barry Shanks told reporters Claus was pronounced dead at 3pm in her room on the sixth floor of the Burslem Hilton Hotel. "What are the chances?" he said. "The real Whitney Houston dies, then a lookalike dies right after. I mean, it must be a million-to-one shot, at least. In many ways this is a much bigger story than Whitney Houston dying. God rest her soul."

The lookalike was in Burslem for the Stoke film festival ["Stoke Your Fires"], currently underway. She died hours before she was expected to perform at local film critic David Murray's rebel Stoke Your Fires party on Sunday, held to highlight his unhappiness at being barred from the festival itself.