THE world’s longest name is championed by one New Zealand man whose entire title spans over 2,000 words and takes 20 minutes to say.
Laurence Watkins, for short, fought tooth and nail to earn the prestigious mouthful – and even left laws changed in the wake of his determination.
The eager moniker-lover changed his name in March 1990 – enduring a gruelling legal battle to achieve the jawdropping feat.
His Guinness World Record awarded title holds 2,253 unique middle names – spanning six whole pages when written down.
His request was accepted by the District Court – before it was rejected by the Registrar General.
But the staunch record-hunter took his case to the High Court in New Zealand, before judges eventually sided with the applicant.
They rewarded the committed man with his new title – but in the process, they changed two laws in order to prevent others from trying the same in the future.
Watkins told Guinness World Records: “I was always fascinated by the quirky unusual records that some people went for and I really wanted to be part of that scene.
“I read the book from cover to cover to see if there was a record I could beat and the only one I had a chance at beating was adding more names than the current holder.”
Extraordinary images shows a proud Watkins holding up six sheets of paper stuck together – all of which contain parts of his eye-watering name.
Watkins worked at the cit library when he decided to lengthen his name.
So he picked up a various selection of books recommended by co-workers before pulling names from the pages.
His favourite word in his record-breaking name is AZ200.
And this is because it references his global feat – more than 2,000 names from A to Z.
The entire long and winding list covers a range of cultures, spanning across Europe, Polynesia, Asia, the Middle East and others.
At his wedding, it took a breathtaking 20 minutes to read out his title in front of astonished loved ones.
Today, his biggest challenge remains facing government departments.
His full name brings up various problems whenever he tries to fit it into identification cards.
But the gobsmacking name makes Watkins proud – and he remains the only person in the world to achieve such a title.
MANCHESTER synagogue attacker Jihad Al-Shamie was accused of raping a second woman, it has emerged.
The terrorist was on bail for raping a woman when he launched his attack on Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester, last week.
Today it has been revealed that the attacker was accused of rape by another woman just weeks before the deadly attack.
Father-of-three Al Shamie is thought to have been married to at least three women.
He was on bail for a rape reported in December 2024 and just a month before the attack was accused of a second sex attack.
The vile man’s criminal record has now been revealed showing he had a conviction for possession of Class B drugs in 2012 according to Greater Manchester Police.
The terrorist also had a street warning for cannabis and received a penalty notice for shoplifting.
He was not known to counter terror agencies.
STRICTLY’S Chris Robshaw has revealed how he and wife Camilla are avoiding the show’s curse, saying ‘she fancies me more than ever’.
The former England rugby player has been married to Camilla since 2018 and he credits the BBC show for helping keep the spark alive between them.
He said: “Thanks to the dancing, I’m in the best shape I have been in a while!
“Keeping healthy is really important to me, I want to ensure I can stay as fit as can be, so I can be around for as long as I can for my two boys.”
He added to the Daily Mail: “Training is doing wonders for the waistline! My wife keeps telling me she fancies me more than ever.”
Strictly has been known for it’s ‘curse’ over the years; with celebrities either falling for their dance partner or splitting with their real life partners soon after being on the programme.
But that isn’t going to be the case for Chris and Camilla, with the singer previously revealing to The Sun why she loves watching him dance with pro partner Nadiya Bychkova.
She said: “I love watching Chris on Strictly. I know he was so nervous on the first night but it was amazing to see him doing something that’s so out of his comfort zone.
“But the thing I’m most thankful for is the training. It’s loosened up my husband’s hips. I fancy him more than ever now.”
As well as feeling fitter than ever, Chris also revealed to the Mail how being on the show has helped his confidence.
He explained: “The show has made me find myself again. I feel like it’s given me back some of my confidence that I’ve lost along the way.
“Obviously being a dad gives you the feeling of purpose, but beyond my boys, I lost myself a bit, especially after retirement.
“Doing Strictly has given me back the something that’s been missing, it’s been the missing piece of the puzzle, I’ve missed this feeling, I think it’s going from training all the time, so then not.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love my job, being able to be on the television talking about something I love as much as I do, but ask any athlete, they miss being on the pitch.”
Last weekend, Chris and Nadiya found themselves in the bottom two alongside Thomas Skinner and his pro partner Amy Dowden.
The judges opted to save Chris and Nadiya, and the star admitted he doesn’t mind being the ‘underdog’.
He told The Sun: “I’m used to being the underdog.
“I’m used to feeling like the underdog, and I know I’m the underdog on Strictly.”
Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturdays on BBC One and iPlayer.
