Ok, Twitter — pull up a chair, and buckle up for a wild, bizarre, hilarious story...

Have you ever heard of an online catfish scheme that actually and totally *worked,* in every possible way? I had not, until I found myself strangely in the middle of the following scenario...

A @GuyBensonShow listener named Michael DM’d me on Instagram ( @guypbenson) a few weeks ago asking for a favor. I’m not typically inclined to entertain such requests from total strangers, but the backstory was irresistible...

Years ago, Michael’s cousin Alyson had a big crush on her very close friend, Dylan. She was stuck in the friend zone & frustrated. Michael hatched a scheme to invent a new love interest in her life, with the goal of making Dylan jealous & shaking him from his romantic slumber.

She is uncomfortable with the plan but Michael forges ahead with the creation of a fictional character: “Ryan Stevens.” He crafts a backstory about how Ryan and Alyson had met & needs a photo to match. He literally googles “generic white man”...

And on the very first page of the image results was this dashing young man:

(lol at this, btw, especially given the fact that I’m wearing the ubiquitous gingham @jcrew shirt that every generic white guy owns. It’s my ~2011 headshot)...

So there’s “Ryan.” Michael & his brothers set out spreading the fake rumor & it gets to Dylan. He’s now aware of real (and very dreamy!!) competition. His deep feelings for Alyson bubble the surface due to this urgent situation, and he finally gets off his ass & makes a move...

They start dating. Ryan is promptly discarded like a bad habit (), as if he never existed (indeed, he did not). Eventually, the truth is revealed to Dylan: “Ryan” was a ruse. A catfish-type ploy that worked flawlessly. This becomes a running joke w/in the family/friend group...

And next Friday, Alyson and Dylan are getting married. Relatedly, they went semi-viral with a cute “news update” video about the unpleasantness of planning a wedding during a pandemic: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/05/05/nation/quarantine-wedding-channel-local-engaged-couple-shares-changed-wedding-plans-mock-newscast/

So Michael — who did NOT know who the generic white man was at the time — is now a Fox viewer & a fan of my radio show’s podcast (free! http://Guypbensonshow.com ). As the wedding approached, he was thinking back on his chicanery & it suddenly dawned on him that it’s me in that pic.

He DM’d me with this entire story & asked if I’d consider recording a brief congratulatory video for the couple *as Ryan Stevens.* This ask was too ludicrous to pass up. And so...

Michael gathered the whole family together for the surprise reveal, playing my video and my radio segment explaining the whole thing. Alyson & Dylan’s reaction was priceless, especially hers:

Here’s how I signed off that day...

And yesterday, Alyson & Dylan were kind enough to call into the @GuyBensonShow to share this story from their perspective. They were great sports about it & the segment (last one of the show) was just delightful: https://omny.fm/shows/guy-benson-show/guy-benson-show-7-17-2020?t=101m39s

I told them that they’re now duty bound to consider Guy or at least Ryan as a name for their firstborn son, given my crucial role in making their marriage happen. Our friends and sponsors at @thelongdrink are sending them a congratulatory care package on our behalf...

Alyson & Dylan will be married in New Hampshire next Friday. And I, Ryan Stevens, wish them nothing but the very best & will even overlook their status as Boston Red Sox fans #yankees

I’m honored to have played a small part in their story. /end

Attention, Twitter: Please strap in for an update...

After everything described in the thread above, Alyson reached out to me. She had good-natured revenge in mind, wanting to pay Michael back. She invited me to the wedding as a surprise guest. I made 100% sure that the bride *actually* wanted this before trying to make it work...

There were a few logistical obstacles to overcome in order to fulfill my various work duties, to make this happen in a safe way, and to maintain the element of surprise...

This included asking the studio team to use a more generic city background when I co-hosted @OutnumberedFNC remotely, as the usual backdrop was too obviously Boston. Michael & company may have been watching and started to suspect something...

On the wedding day, I was already in Boston when Michael messaged me a photo of his groomsman gift () & I played it off as if I’d forgotten the wedding was happening that day. I thanked him for the reminder to wish the couple well on my show...

When the big moment arrived (I had been hiding in a room at the venue), a bridesmaid brought me down to the lake where the photos were being taken. They had assembled the whole group that had been present for the “Ryan Stevens” video reveal (see above)...

She said, “wait, we’re missing someone!” The family looked around, confused. Wasn’t everyone accounted for? That’s when Ryan made his move & all hell broke loose...

I was, in fact, wearing the exact same shirt from the ~9 year old headshot that triggered the series of events leading to this day...

Don’t drop your kid, Michael.

The wedding was lovely, everyone was so incredibly welcoming and kind. Alyson pulled off a stunning surprise & Dylan was a great sport about everything. I even got a shout out in the matron of honor’s speech (I pretended to wipe away tears and jokingly shook my fist at Dylan)...

Did I cry at these strangers’ wedding. Sure did. Why? Dylan and his mother danced to this song...

As it happens, I danced to that same @rascalflatts song with my mother at my own wedding last fall (by this point in the video, we had switched moms)...

Congratulations to the lovely couple and their amazing friends and family. What a strong foundation they have to build off of as they begin their life together.

Epic and unforgettable. /end