Never told this story to anyone until now. SO here goes.
This is gonna sound racist and It honestly wasn't intended that way. It was a simple case of brain freeze that looking back could have cost me my job or at least definitely got me a severe bollocking or official warning.
All this occurred right at the same time as all the media hoo-ha surrounding the young girl Shamima Begum and her ISIS / British citizenship stuff.
On our usual Monday morning Teams video meeting. Our manager had a young girl sat totally motionless behind him. I swear to god she didn't look real. I was convinced he had installed a Shamima Begum background just for a bit of a laugh. Yes of course this in reality would have been utterly shite "bantz" I agree, but my head just went, thats what I saw. The young lady in question wasn't just any old girl wearing a Hijab, she is also the double of Shamima.
I was a knats cock away from blurting out something REALLY stupid like "I see you got Shamima home". Thankfully, at that moment she moved her head and I realised she was a real person and he had her sat behind him to introduce her to the team. I didn't even know we were employing anyone new FFS.
If id had said something I reckon it would have been the most embarrassing thing I had EVER done in 50 years. I may have even resigned in shame to be honest.
Turns out the girl (who's name is very similar to Shamima as it happens) is a great kid and I thank my lucky stars every time I speak to her these days